Becoming Friends
by Dave321
Summary: Takes place after "Old sibling adversary". Mila and Zack are resuming their date before the Armstrong family meets up with them. What will happen to them and in the next days? All characters involved belong to Tecmo Koei and Team Ninja.
1. The first Step

Several weeks have passed since Mila's hated brother, Mark, had been arrested thanks to Zack's help. The Spanish MMA champ didn't know how to thank her new crush more for taking away this pain that haunted her for years. Little did they know, though, that Mark actually escaped from prison thanks to the help of one of Donovan's allies. But now everything for the two was just like when they first start dating. During the afternoon of a sunny day, after having a good workout at the gym, the new couple decided to spend time outside in order to know each other more. Right now, they were sitting on a bench, near many others, behind a coffee shop. Zack extended his arm to a part of the furniture.

"We trained extra hard eh?" He said while smiling. He noticed Mila nodding as she then turned to him and smiling back.

"So tell me, how do you feel now that you're free from any harm?" He added with a smirk.

The MMA fighter simply giggled silently while blushing a little. She then laid her back on the bench while having a peaceful look.

"Absolutely great! It feels as if a stone has been lifted from my heart... " She replied before looking back at him in curiosity.

"You know, Tina once told me about how you and her got to know each other under "terrible" circumstances. Especially since she said that you kept bothering her in trying to ask her out…and with her dad being so furious with you about it. But even so…despite you being a goofball…you are actually a very nice guy. You proved it to me throughout these weeks." She told him.

Normally, Zack would immediately scream in joy and feeling very pleased. But instead, he kept being calm as he folded his arms while kept smiling and also chuckling in, what seemed like, a dirty way.

"Hehe, I kinda wonder how Tina would react once she finds out that we are dating. I mean, you and her are best friends right?"

Mila nodded as she then also felt curious about how Tina would react to this. The fact that she was dating the very same man that her friend almost couldn't stand in the past.

"Speaking of Tina…" Zack said as he looked ahead. Tina was right there walking towards the two. She started to smirk as she put her right hand on her hips. She was wearing that same black jacket with a yellow hoodie underneath as well as those blue shorts, white knee-high boots and that black hat on her head.

"Hello Mila!" She said with happiness. Then she looked at Zack with a small smug.

"…And hello Zack."

The MMA fighter immediately stood up as she approached her friend with a very happy look.

"Tina! I'm so glad to see you again! For a moment I thought I'd hardly see you once more judging by your current occupation!"

Tina started to look at her confused once she heard the last part obviously, but Mila noticed it and quickly shook her head as she didn't want to talk about the fact that Tina was now governor of an entire city.

"Nevermind, I'm just very happy to see you." Mila said with an excitement. Tina chuckled a little before becoming confused again. The reason was because she just found her friend with Zack's presence. And she still was unware of the real reason why he was there with Mila.

"What are you doing with Zack anyway? Is he trying to ask you out like he did it more than once with me? Hahaha, not surprising. I was kinda expecting that he would try to do the same thing with you. Don't worry, you'll get used to it." She said while winking at her.

However, Mila started to look insecure before Zack stood up as well and wrapped one arm around Mila's shoulders.

"Oh do not worry, Tina-baby. Me and Mila are doing just fine." He said while sounding laid-back.

Tina scoffed at his words as she raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, sure. Like she would ever date someone who acts so dumb that he even mistakes someone else for me." She remarked before chuckling. Zack started to lose his happy look at this point.

And just then… a male and raspy voice joined the conversation. That was all too familiar to Mila…even to Zack. He could recognize that voice everywhere…even when he didn't realize that it was him dressing as that "Mr. Strong" persona for the 5th tournament.

"And thank goodness he stopped bothering my baby like that. Otherwise I would have seriously broke his neck." The voice belonged to none other than the legendary wrestler himself, Bass Armstrong. And just as he stood beside his daughter, Mila's eyes began to wide in total happiness as she finally saw her idol.

"Bass Armstrong…" She murmured. Tina's dad turned to her with a light smile on his face.

"So… you must be Mila, eh? Tina told me everything about you. The fact that you inspired her to fight again and more importantly…this passion of yours to face me in the ring. Well, if we happen to fight during the next tournament or, if we are lucky, one day in an exhibition match…give me all you got!" When he said the last part he smiles widely much to Mila's excitement.

Mila's body was shaking as she was nervous that she was talking right at her idol. She nodded frantically.

"Y-Yes! I will not disappoint!"

Bass's look changed from a smile to a glare as he then stared at Zack.

"As for you Zack, forget about all your attempts in trying to get near my daughter. Cause if you keep that up…"

Zack became angry at this point as he really had enough to always argue with Tina's dad due to his overprotectiveness.

"OK OK! I GOT IT!" He yelled before panting a little in anger. He looked somewhere else as he gritted his teeth in anger. He saw the coffee shop and thought it was perfect. He wanted to do something…to end this dumb conflict. Of course not with fighting…since that would only worse things up. Zack approached Bass and pulled his arm to drag him to go inside the shop.

"What the-?"

"Bass, there's something that we need to discuss. Let's get inside and let's leave the girls alone for a while."

The legendary wrestler was confused at first before scoffing and following him inside. This was watched by both Mila and Tina. The two ladies had different reactions.

"I hope they don't start a fight in there!" Mila said in a worried way.

"Wow, I've never seen Zack behaving like this before. Normally he's always the usual goofball." Tina said in a surprised way before turning to her new best friend who looked to the ground.

"What's wrong, Mily?" She asked.

Mila had no choice. This had to be done. She had to tell her that she was currently having an affair with Zack, even though Tina would hardly believe her. Or maybe she would even mock her about it. Mila hoped that she will find a way to prove the opposite of what Tina still thought of the DJ.

"I know you might not believe me Tina…but I-I…me and him are actually dating. We are trying to get to know eachother better…and that's what we did these past weeks." She finally said it.

Tina's eyes widened in shock. She in fact couldn't believe herself of what she just heard. Mila predicted this… before she heard Tina starting to laugh almost loudly.

"HAHAHA! That was a good one, Mily! I didn't know you had a great sense of humor!"

However, she then stopped laughing as she noticed the serious look on Mila's face. The MMA fighter was in fact stating the truth.

"No Tina…I really fell in love with him." She repeated in seriousness ,and also a little bit romantically, while looking to the ground this. Now Tina felt shocked differently.

"You're not serious are you?"

"I'm serious. Maybe you'll laugh at me because he always acted like an eccentric person to you and others. But when we met again, after the day I sparred with him in the gym in order to have a chance to enter the 5th Dead Or Alive tournament, he showed a side that you probably never saw before. And…he saved me from someone that now I don't wanna remember. Zack is not as bad as you might think he is. He can also be a nice guy to you, to Bass and even to everyone else…if only you just give him a chance." Mila said before looking at the ground almost in sadness.

Tina was almost speechless at what Mila just said. For a moment she thought that her friend wasn't feeling well…before she thought again as she then looked a bit insecure. Over past few years, Zack always acted so silly to her. First she found him annoying, but then she got used to it and started to enjoy teasing him. The few things that Tina already knew about Zack was the fact that the latter used to be only interested in money, fame, and the company of ladies. She even remembered the hoaxes she got from him, as well as the other ladies, just to attract her to spend time at his private islands. But now If he's really in a romantic relationship with Mila as well as the latter talking good about him…then this meant that Zack was behaving differently now. Maybe Mila wasn't lying after all. Tina also learned that even the happiest or greediness people can show different attitudes.

"You think so…?" Tina asked her.

* * *

Both Zack and Bass were sitting on the stools in front of the bartender who was busy cleaning some cups. Tina's dad turned his head to look at Zack who was simply looking at the TV in silence, as well as drinking a beer that both him and Bass took. The latter scoffed at this as he then looked somewhere else. He just remained confused to why he was inside there with Zack. He thought it was just because the DJ wanted to play ''games'' with him… only to then wide his eyes in surprise once he heard Zack's voice.

"Will you PLEASE stop being like this?" Zack said all of sudden.

Bass turned to look at Zack again and he was looking at him with a glare.

"Huh?" Bass was confused.

"Will you please stop being so overprotective towards Tina? I know she's your daughter, but good lord! You know that she can take care of herself, right? And tell me once and for freaking all…what the hell have you got against me!? What have I done to you?"

Bass started to glare too. A question flowed through his mind: Has Zack forgot about how he constantly bothered Tina?

"You should know it damn well, Zack. After all these years in annoying my baby and attempting to do who knows what to her!"

Zack's glare didn't fade away at this. If anything…it only gave him more fuel to be a bit angry with Tina's dad.

"It's not like I wanted to rape her or whatever other bullshit you're thinking. I simply liked her. Well…I still do, because you know how I am. But if you are SOO worried about me trying to 'ask her out' once more… fear not! I no longer have that intention, as I am currently with another babe. But if it's because of my own behavior… if you think it's because I acted like a 'creep' or anything like that, well let me tell you something: I'm trying to change my ways." He explained.

Bass's eyes widened in surprise after hearing what came out from Zack's mouth. He could have never expect to hear something like this from him. Somehow, he was speechless as he then stared at his hands. Zack sighed as he folded his arms while looking at Bass in a normal way.

"So…you understand what I mean?" he asked.

Silence took them for a little until Zack noticed Bass nodding slowly and with eyes narrowed.

"If you're really serious about this…then I'm very curious to see if you're telling the truth." Bass said.

Zack raised one eyebrow as he started to have a sarcastic-like look.

"What, you think I'm spatting bullcrap? Oh I know…it's not easy for people, except Mila and thank goodness for that, to trust me nowadays. But I will do my best to prove it…even though it won't be so hard, you know." Zack said as he chuckled at the last part before he continued.

"And if I should give you a suggestion on how you should be now… Well I don't know, maybe stop being an overprotective bastard towards Tina? Try to change? Forget about the stupid quarrels we had in the past over this, and be friends? C'mon, Bass! If I can do it then I'm pretty sure you can too." He told him.

Bass started to grin a little at this point. He always thought that Zack was simply an annoying goofball that only disturbed people. He was first met in thoughts before finally coming to one conclusion.

"Zack…you've changed." He said in his mind before turning to him, still grinning.

"Maybe you're right after all. I'll try to follow your advice…and I'll try to treat you as a friend." He said.

This made Zack's face turn into a happy one as he wrapped one arm around his shoulders and tapping one of them at the same time in a friendly way.

"Now THAT'S what I like to hear!" Zack exclaimed.

Bass chuckled as he then looked with a little smug.

"But I'll be honest…I think I'm going to miss the old you. I mean…It was fun arguing with you in many ways. It was bad yes, but it was also entertaining at times, since I admit that, in a way, you are actually a funny man, Zack." He said.

Zack started to look a little suspicious at Tina's dad's remark.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" He asked. But all he could hear then was a chuckle from Bass who shrugged.

"I'm not trying to sound like an asshole, but be honest yourself... it was kinda fun, right?" Bass said.

Zack started to chuckle as well but in almost in a sarcastic way. He then shook his head before offering a handshake to Tina's dad.

"So…friends?" he asked.

Bass smiles completely this time before accepting the handshake and tapping his shoulder.

"Yes, friends."


	2. Realizing the dream (Part 1)

A box sack was being punched and kicked at the same time without stopping. These attacks came from none other than the Spanish MMA fighter, Mila. She was in the gym and was doing her usual hard training. She had one goal, and that was to fight and defeat her idol, Bass Armstrong in a match. She had one opportunity, and that was the 5th Dead Or Alive tournament, but, unfortunately for her, she failed. However, she didn't give up as she knew that one day she would realize her dream, especially after finally meeting her idol behind a coffee shop, along with Tina and Zack, the other day. Mila was having a break after punching and kicking the box-sack and was panting hard as she had her hands pressed on the wall and closed her eyes.

"That day will come...I know it...I can feel it..." She said through her breathing.

She then reopened her eyes as she continued to pant in exhaustion and looking very determined. She then looked up and locked her eyes towards the pic of Bass that was up.

"I'll fight him...and I'll beat him."

Just while she took a break, she didn't realize that Zack was also there as he listened what she was whispering to herself. He then chuckled silently to himself before smirking.

"She is so eager and ready to fight and beat Bassy, huh? ...Well, I might as well grant her the wish. And judging by how she proved it to me…I think it's time."

He made slowly and comically his way out of the gym without being detected by her. Once he was out, he ran to his car and went to the heliport for his chopper. He didn't know exactly where Bass was, but he did know that normally the wrestler, when not competing in the ring, worked in an oil-rig platform that was in the middle of the Ocean, and so he decided to go there in hopes of finding him. It didn't take long for him to arrive at the heliport and to jump in his chopper. While he drove, he thought about the day he and Bass had that chat in the bar when they decided to treat each other as friends and no longer having that rivalry they used to have because of the DJ's crush on Tina and of Bass's overprotectiveness.

"There it is." Zack said as he saw, at a distance, the oil-rig platform.

After he arrived at destination and landed the chopper, he jumped out of it and immediately went in search of the wrestler. He asked information at one of the workers and the latter said that he was drinking at the so called 'Taylor's bar' inside. This brought a chuckle to Zack as he followed the indications. Bass, in fact, was there. At the very same bar, drinking like usual just like when having break times with a friend of his, who was now disappeared at a nowhere.

"Rig...where the hell are you, buddy?" Bass said in an annoyed way.

He sighed in a desperate way, while sipping from his bottle of the beer.

"That guy always seems to disappear, whenever I simply want a drink with him... is he even interested in being partners with me...?" He added.

However, just as Bass was about to drink the beer, Zack showed up suddenly and surprised him by greeting him with open arms.

"Hey Bassy! Long time no see, my friend! Good that I've found you!"

Bass shocked himself and he almost dropped the beer, but fortunately he managed to not pouring the liquid on the floor.

"Zack!? The hell!?" He said in a comical angry way.

The DJ could only laugh his ass off at the way he just surprised him.

"What? You're not happy to see me?"

Bass chuckled in a dirty way before drinking the beer a little and then looking back at him with a little smug on his face.

"Maybe I would have been happier if you didn't surprise me like this."

"Hahaha, c'mon now, you're still pleased to see your new friend after all this time?"

The wrestler raised his eyebrows in confusion at his question.

"It has only been one week since we last saw each other, you know." Bass said. But this only made Zack chuckle again before folding his arms and shaking his head.

"Nahh, does it really matter?" The DJ asked.

Bass scoffed a little as well before drinking the beer and then looking back at him. He noticed that Zack was keep smirking and he began to be curious about the reason why he wanted to meet up with him.

"So? What brings you here?"

Zack sat on the stool leaned back in his seat and put his hands under his head in a relaxed manner, while smirking at his former rival.

"You know... you remember Mila, correct? Well... guess what? I just came by to tell you, that she is more than ready to face you in the ring! But I guess you already know that. So... if that is what she desires dearly for, then I might as well grant that wish of hers. Especially since she's more than ready. Y'know what I'm sayin'?" Zack said proudly.

Bass raised his eyebrows in surprise as he would never expect that Zack would come to find him to tell him about something like that. He grinned at this.

"Oh, so she really wants to fight me, huh?"

Zack chuckled at this as he shrugged while raising his eyebrows.

"Don't tell me you're slow to understand!" He said.

Bass laughed a little at the joke before finally finishing drinking the beer, much to Zack's impatience at hearing his response. Bass then nodded as he understood that if he declined, not only would he let down his number 1 fan, but he would also waste his own time in drinking and thinking about his friend's disappearance. And he also isn't someone who would back down from any challenge.

"Fine then. If you say that she's ready to fight me in a match, then tomorrow evening, I shall face this Mila in the ring at the D.W.A." He finally said.

Zack remained surprised at this and raised his eyebrows even wider at how quick Bass was with his decision.

"Well, that was fast! Are you really sure?"

"You bet your ass I am sure! If someone wants to fight me, then how can I decline a challenge like that?! You know, that I am not the kinda guy, that would run away from a fight."

At this point, the DJ had to think of how Mila would react after he will give her the news. He stood up from his seat and adjusted his sunglasses.

"Then you better get ready! I fought her more than once and let me tell you something: She means serious business! Heck, and I may have never looked like it, but so far, I gave my best, whenever there is a challenge waiting ahead of me. And I didn't even hold back, but yet she still cornered me! So don't let your Armstrong instincts get the best of you... and by that I mean your overconfidence, because Mila would use it to her advantage." Zack said.

That made Bass look at him in a perplexed way.

"Me? Overconfident? Nooo." Bass comically said.

Zack laughed at this point after noticing Bass's denial at being overconfident.

"Hahahaha, sure! You think I haven't seen the way you lost to Jann Lee at the tournament?"

That made Bass comically angry as he too remembered how he was defeated by the Jeet Kune Do fighter in the 5th Dead Or Alive tournament.

"Hey! That's not funny!"

Zack slowly stopped laughing and wiped a little tear from his eye, that almost came out, before trying to speak normally again.

"Anyway... so, then, I will be seeing you tomorrow there... in the ring. Better don't be late." He said.

Bass returned to show a small grin before nodding and speaking in an almost sarcastic way.

"Yeah yeah, sure. See you tomorrow."

Zack grinned back and without saying anything, he turned around and made his way out of the bar as he returned back to the chopper.

"Wow, I didn't know it was that easy." He said as he couldn't wait to tell Mila the exciting news.


	3. Realizing the dream (Part 2)

Zack was driving his car in a fast way ignoring if other drivers would yell at him for almost crashing at them as he was too focused on getting to the gym and telling, to his new girlfriend, the exciting news. Once he arrived, he stopped near the entrance and he saw her exiting. So he honked in order to make her turn her head to him. She noticed him and smiled before approaching the car.

"Oh man, I can't wait!" Zack said in his thoughts as he smirked.

He could see her coming closer to her car as she waved him from the window of the car. The DJ lowered it down to make sure she could speak with him clearly. That smile of her face always made his heart melt…well, like most other girls he saw in his life. But with Mila, it was a total different case.

"Hey Zack! Have you come to pick me up and bring me home like usual?" She said.

He chuckled at this before making a gesture to get inside the car. She nodded as she did so but little did she know that something was about to probably make her mood going in pure excitement. She sat right next to him and noticed him taking off his sunglasses, revealing his smirk.

"Well yes…but I also need to tell you something." He said.

"Really? What is it?" She asked.

Mila's look became curious before she saw him making a gesture to come closer to him and he began whispering to her in an exciting way. After hearing everything that Zack was saying in her ear…her eyes widened in shock before looking at him. She totally couldn't believe of what she was hearing. For a moment she thought she was just hallucinating…but then she had to realize that this was reality.

"W-What…? You…!" She said in a shocked yet happy way.

Zack nodded at her proudly. At this point, Mila couldn't help herself anymore. The MMA fighter immediately found herself pressing the black DJ against his seat, starting to kiss the living day-lights out of him before hugging him tightly and refusing the let go.

"I can't believe it! You did this for me!?" She exclaimed.

She kept looking shocked and incredulous at the same time as she never expected her dream to become a reality thanks so someone who normally was looked down by some others. At the same time she thought that it wasn't an hoax or something. But then again, after how the two spent their time, she fully trusted Zack and knew that he was not lying at all.

"Yeah, while you were busy in punching the box sack, I secretly listened to what you were whispering to yourself. And after remembering the day when you first met Bass and how gladly he would accept to have a fight with you...I thought it was time. After how you showed to me how ready you are. You trained so hard for this...and now here's your chance." Zack said.

That made Mila look at him with a smug after understanding that he was in the gym watching and listening to her without her knowing it.

"So you were snooping on me, huh? You bad boy, you..." She said before she playfully smacked him very lightly across the cheek, making him and herself laugh.

Both didn't realize, that Mila moved so close, that she was practically on top of his lap, making it look really awkward from the outside... and when they realized it, Mila started to blush and sweat nervously, as she leaned her head against his chest, while he stroked one hand up and down the back of her head. She immediately looked at him with an innocent smiling look.

"Ehh…it's not exactly what I was thinking…I just…I just wanted to show you how grateful I am…" She awkwardly said.

"And by that, you mean like this?" Zack asked before he kissed her on the lips. This shocked Mila and she didn't kiss back as it was too unexpected. Then, he broke it and put his sunglasses back on.

"C'mon admit it." He asked with a smirk on his face.

She blushed a little and looked elsewhere in embarrassment, in denial on what he actually referred to, but she doesn't want to rush things.

"Z-Zack... I-I know what you want... b-but I am... n-not feeling like it right now... s-s sorry."

She was expecting him to insist after she said that since she knew, now, how Zack normally behaved in situations such as these. But much to her shock, Zack didn't protest as he actually agreed.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. In fact I wanted to save it after you beat Bass tomorrow. It wouldn't make sense right now. And also, I may like being pervy at times, but... considering we're out in the public... this may not be the best idea ever. I like it more when we are alone. So yes, I agree with you."

She then inhaled and exhaled loudly out of relief. She loved Zack, but there was a limit of hers and she didn't want to pass it just yet. And now her love for him grew even more, because of his decency to be a gentleman for once.

"So…can you bring me back home?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes, ma'am!" He responded and that made her chuckle a little.

The DJ started the engine and drove to Mila's house. While going, she couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she will finally face her idol in a match. She thought that she had to wait for another tournament and keep training, but thanks to Zack, now she could finally make her dream a reality.

"I still can't believe I'm going to face the one and only, Bass Armstrong, tomorrow! Am I dreaming!?" She said in her mind.

She lightly slapped herself once and shook herself, but still, she realized that she actually was going to face Bass herself tomorrow and the very fact, made her go completely over the moon. It was all real. Once they arrived at destination, Zack elbowed her lightly as he smirked.

"Well, champ, tomorrow is gonna be your day it seems." He said.

Mila gave him a tight hug before shaking him a little in excitement. She then went out of the car and squealed happily, while running inside to get to her apartment.

"Thank you, Zack! Thank you so much!" She said to herself in excitement.

 **THE NEXT DAY…**

Mila spent the whole morning and afternoon in training like a crazy and having small breaks. She told her chief, from the diner, that she had an important match the evening and even if with a little bit of hesitating, the chief agreed to concede her to have the day off. While she trained, she felt totally nervous as this was the dream she waited for so long. And again she couldn't believe that it was all thanks to Zack. She swore that she would find a way to repay him, but unfortunately she didn't know how. Then again all she could think about, during in that moment was to focus, for the evening for her long waited fight against Bass Armstrong.

Finally, the evening came. It was the time. Zack arrived to pick her up and both were already making their way to the D.W.A building, since he promised her that he will be at ring side. Once they were at destination, Mila immediately ran to the changing room to gear up in her MMA stuff. Zack chuckled at this as he then sat on a bench nearby and waited for her to come out. Just then, much to his surprise...a female familiar voice took over. And it was none other than Tina who started to look at Zack with a little grin.

"Didn't expect to see you here." She said all of sudden.

Zack's eyes lit up and he turned to the part where she was and warmly greeted her with a smile.

"Yo Tina. You know, can't stay out of range, while my baby-girl is showing your daddy who's boss, right?"

Tina smirked, as she leaned back against the door with her back, with her arms folded.

"That's some faith from someone, who has never beaten my father. And also from someone who got beaten easily by the undersigned and even mistook someone else for me." She teased.

At this point, Zack started to snort as he truly had enough of always being teased by her. Especially now that he was in a relationship with someone who is also her friend. Despite still trying to like her as a friend, there was still something within him that was forcing him to view her negatively now. And he didn't know what that was…since it wasn't even like him to be mad with someone who simply teased him…even it also contained a bit of humiliation. He just couldn't bring himself to dislike her now…but yet he still had a similar feeling…as he snapped out.

"Oh my god, are you still thinking about that day!? What? You expect an apology!? Fine then, I'm sorry! Happy now!?" He said in an almost angry way.

Tina widened her eyes as she looked surprised at his reaction, because it was unexpected to her. In fact, she thought that he could actually handle her teasing in his regards as well as chuckling about it and shrugging.

"Zack, I was just-"

"Oh, and don't forget that I'm the one who granted Mila's wish to face your daddy! So therefore, you don't know how happy she is with me. Maybe even more than when she met you for the first time! So out of all people, YOU have the least reason to actually object to this, so shut your trap!" He angrily said before folding his arms and looking away.

The DJ panted after he said that. He was already feeling remorse, as he also hesitated to react like this to the very same person he liked in the past and he still did in a more friendly way. He just didn't know what's got into him…his mind, however, was telling him to not say anything and simply be quiet. Like if it was preventing him to give the female Armstrong any apology. Now Tina, who still was shocked about Zack's reaction, wanted to actually apologize… but she then realized that, through all this teasing, Zack now did not trust her anymore in the slightest. She thought it was childish and immature, but after so many times, having treated him like dirt, she could kind of relate to this. However, she was very annoyed about this kind of behavior that he was showing now towards her.

Just then, Mila came out fully in her MMA gear and ready for the match. After she noticed both Zack and Tina, she immediately went to the latter and hugged her.

"Tina! I knew that you would also come!" She happily said.

Tina chuckled and attempted to smile and hugged back. But once she saw Zack standing up and looking annoyed and a bit angry, she became a bit concerned.

"Y-Yeah, Mila. Of course, It was obvious since you're about to fight my dad." Tina responded.

The two then broke the hug and Mila went to hug Zack as well as kissing him to the cheek while smiling and he gladly smiled back.

"Everything you've done up to this point, Mila, comes down to this. It's your time!" He told her.

"Zack, thank you so much!" She replied before kissing him on the lips leaving Tina a bit surprised as she never saw the two kissing before. Then the Spanish MMA fighter ran out to make her way to the ring. Zack turned to Tina and gave her a dirty smirk.

"How does it feel, eh?" He arrogantly said before turning around and following Mila to accompany her in the ring. He still felt remorse as on a side he didn't want to behave like this to Tina…but yet another one it was telling him that it was the right thing to do.

Tina's reaction to the remark that Zack threw at her made her look emotionless at first, before becoming a bit sad, because her constant teasing lead him to treat her like an 'enemy' in his way. And this was never her intentions to beginning with. At the same time, her father showed up as he just finished gearing himself up in his wrestling outfit which was the same when he was in the 5th Dead Or Alive tournament. So now he was "Mr. Strong" again. He noticed her daughter having a small sad look and he began to look a bit concerned.

"Something's wrong Tina?" He asked.

She got surprised at first, but, after she noticed him, she returned to look a little annoyed.

"Oh dad…Umm, nothing it's nothing. Let's just go." She said before she shook her head and began to walk to the stage.

Bass was suspicious at first, but then he shrugged and followed her as he couldn't wait to go face-to-face against his number 1 fan in the ring.


	4. Realizing the dream (Part 3)

Shouts and cheerfulness were heard from the entire crowd as they saw the MMA fighter, in the ring, warming herself up as she waited for Bass to come out. While warming up, she gave a look at Zack who was in the ring as well and had his arms folded and looking at the stage where Bass should show up once his theme song played. He looked at her and smiled and she smiled back as she winked at him. Bass's theme song finally played and the crowd cheered loudly as he finally showed up on stage, with Tina accompanying him. He yelled loudly making the crowd cheer even louder.

"I can't wait to test this girl's abilities! YEAH!" Bass said proudly.

Watching him making his way to the ring while yelling and smiling for the crowd, with Tina following, made Mila's heart beat very fast as she became very nervous. It then started to beat faster just as Bass started to climb the ropes to get in the ring. Her shoulders are then, suddenly touched by Zack's arm as he wrapped it around them.

"This is it, Mila." He said.

"Yeah…" She responded while having her eyes still looking at her idol who was now, finally, in the ring. Mila then turned to Zack and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks again." She told him.

He simply nodded at her and jumped out of the ring and folded his arms again, ready to see the match. Little did he know that Tina was also at ringside to watch the fight and she gave an almost sad look at him. She then sighed and her head shook before she turned to glance the ring as the fight was about to begin.

"I'm glad that this day came. Now gimme all you got!" He said while doing his fighting stance and smirking widely.

Mila felt more alive than ever at this point as she too did her fighting stance and smiling widely.

"I'm ready Mr. Armstrong!" She said.

The bell rang and the match finally started. The two stared at eachother as they were both waiting to make a move. Since Mila knew that Bass probably wanted her to give him her best and so she decided to attack first. She dashed and attempted to punch him three times in the chest. Bass got hit and felt a little bit stunned. Just as Mila then attempted to raise her left leg to throw a side kick, Bass dodged it and grabbed her at the same time. Mila found herself between his shoulders as he was trying to hit her with a wrestling move. She shook in attempted to break free as Bass was holding her by her wrist and ankle. She managed to succeed after she freed her hand from his grip and elbowed him to his cheek. She was now behind him and was about to attack him again. But suddenly, Bass quickly turned around while extending his right arm and nailing Mila to the face, making her crash against a pillar. Since she was used to this kind of pain, she immediately got up and noticed Bass charging at her. She felt surprised at first and decided to go in defense as she blocked and dodged his incoming attacks. However, blocking wasn't really going to help her in handling the pain she would still feel from Bass's brute strength…so she decided to simply dodging and avoid his attempts in trying to grab her for either a wrestling move or a submission maneuver. While doing all of this, she had to think about all these training days she spent…all the months she waited for this moment…how she trained like a crazy over the years simply for this other than to train her own body. A part of her was still feeling incredulous that this was actually happening…but at the same time she had to not let this get to her. One minute of distraction and it would be all over before she could even know. And while fighting…she could hear Zack yelling at ring-side as he was cheering for her. She was feeling glad…and it also gave her more fuel to get more concentrated for the fight.

"I won't let you down, Zacky." Mila said in her thoughts, while avoiding at the last second, an incoming powerful front-kick from the Armstrong. The attack in fact barely missed her as Bass's foot only came in contact nearly at the side of her hair. Ironically, that kick was the one that she also learned by simply watching him on television over the years. As well as other few wrestling moves.

"C'mon, Mily!" Zack said at ringside.

Tina, on the other hand, wasn't rooting for either of the two as she actually just wanted to see a great fight between her father and her friend. Every time she heard Zack yelling and cheering for Mila, she had to look at him with a sad look as she couldn't stop thinking at what her constant teasing lead him to be now and was feeling remorse. It's not because she had a thing for him or anything…but because she wanted to treat him as a friend and not like an enemy. Now she could see that what Mila told her the other day…was the truth.

Back in the ring, Mila crossed her arms as she blocked a forceful kick from her idol and that made her tumble back but she succeeded in remaining on her feet and then looked at him determined. She foresaw a straight punch and dodged it by lowering herself before attempting to counter and throwing a straight jab too but he avoided it with ease. Both kept going on with the two avoiding and blocking each other's punches and kicks as well as breaking free from each attempted grips. The fight was intense and Mila was sweating like a crazy, panting and feeling excited. Bass too was sweating hard. He had to admit that what Zack told him the day before was true. She sure was serious business. Just as he was slowly getting up from an attack that he received, he noticed Mila charging in attempt to throw a jumping punch to his face. He got serious and caught her at the right time. The MMA fighter got shocked at this before Bass slammed her down with him on top of him. She gritted her teeth at the pain she received. But her fighting spirit was telling her to not give up and just then…her eyes opened up abruptly and she grabbed Bass's right arm and wrapped her legs on his neck. She was imprisoning with a triangle choke submission. This made Zack leaning closely to the ropes. Tina couldn't help but staring at the fight in an astonished way. Bass growled in anger and grunted in pain. Slowly and with fatigue, he made everyone shocked, Mila included, as he lifted her up with his strength, still imprisoned by her grip, and slammed her to the mat making her let go off him and freeing himself. Mila groaned In pain after that hard impact and that made Zack concerned as he slammed his hands at ringside and he was yelling at her to not give up. Mila could barely hear him 'cause she was too stunned. But fortunately, she did not give in. She still had the strength to go on. She rolled herself to go face-first to the ground before slowly trying to get up. Bass became impressed at this as he was making his way on a turnbuckle of the ring.

"She's still not done eh? I'm impressed." He said in his mind.

Zack shocked himself after understanding what Bass was about to do. The wrestler wanted to jump on the turnbuckle to hit Mila once she dared to get up. He then began to hope that the MMA fighter had a plan or something to return on top of the fight. He whispered to himself n hoping that Mila would somehow being able to return on top of the fight. He knew, however, that fighting and beating Bass was not an easy task…especially for someone like him who never succeeded in winning over the wrestler during the previous tournaments. And as he kept looking at Mila struggling in standing up, Tina could see, other than the amazing fight, how Zack kept being focused and serious in watching the match going on right now in the ring. She never saw this side of his…and now she really was starting to have second thoughts about him.

Mila was in one knee, gritting her teeth from the pain she was feeling in her body and having one eye closed. She thought about all the days she spent in training at the gym for this. She was not going to fail. She remembered Zack's words about that day when he said that she proved to him to have potential to fight and win against her idol. She couldn't let him or anyone down now. She looked up and noticed Bass standing at the top of the turnbuckle, before he yelled and jumped towards her. Mila yelled as well and jumped forward towards him. Much to everyone's shock, she tackled Bass in mid-air and landed on top of him. Zack began to smile widely as he already knew how this was going to go since he too was in positions like that when he sparred with Mila. Tina too couldn't help but to feel very surprised at all this. The Spanish MMA fighter didn't waste in time in giving her idol hard mounted punches in the head. She punched him repedatly without any mercy, like if she was fighting a despicable person who deserved a beating…even though the real reason was because she knew how big and though Bass was. So she really had to go all out. Since this was too unexpected, Bass couldn't block and trying to break free as the hard punches was making him losing his strength. Then Mila raised her body up a little and finally raised her right arm and prepared it to punch him in the face.

"Good counter…" Bass whispered weakly.

The punch landed on his head and he grunted hard at the impact. He was unable to get up and after that. The bell rang as the match was over and Mila won. She was met with mixed reaction from the crowd as some of them cheered for her while others instead cheered for the legendary wrestler the entire time. However, Mila didn't pay attention to these reactions as she was too focused on looking, almost in shock, the downed Bass as she stood up slowly.

"I…I beat him…!?" She whispered while panting in exhaustion at the same time.

She then felt grabbed from behind by Zack who turned her around to look at him as he then shook her by the shoulders and smiling widely.

"MILA YOU DID IT! YOU'VE DEFEATED BASS!" He said in happiness, but Mila kept looking at him with wide eyes since she was feeling slightly incredulous.

Her look became even more shocked after she noticed Zack taking off his sunglasses in front of everyone.

"Zack…" She said before Zack revealed his happiness from the look in his eyes as he then widened his arms open.

"Oh, and before you ask, no. You're not dreaming at all!" He told her.

Now she couldn't help herself anymore. After she managed to realize her dream thanks to him, she knew what Zack needed at this point. And so she hugged him tightly and he surely hugged back. Mila then pushed herself forward, in order to land on top of him, to the ground as she kissed him on the lips passionately with the DJ, obviously, returning it. This was watched by Tina who climbed into the ropes to go and check her father's conditions. And, as she noticed that her father was slowly regaining consciousness… she couldn't help but keep glancing at the new couple having their romantic moment. Her reaction wasn't what someone would expect. She was actually feel happy on the inside…now that she acknowledged what Mila meant other day.

"I won't forget all the support and help, you gave me for this. Thank you, Zack." Mila said after breaking the kiss and looking deeply in his eyes with her forehead pressing against his.

"Don't mention it, Mily…" He responded.

This was heard by Tina and that made her smile warmly because her friend was very happy now that her dream was finally realized and completed. And the fact that it was thanks to Zack, she completely changed her entire mind about him. She finally understood what Mila told her about him when she first found out about their relationship. Tina then noticed her father slowly getting up. She attempt to help him, but Bass simply told her that he was still fine…although he still looked a bit pained after all the punches he received from his number 1 fan. The legendary wrestler approached the couple…especially Mila as the two looked at each other with a proud look.

"You are pretty strong, Mila! Guess your training really did pay off greatly!" Bass said.

Mila's heart kept beating fast in excitement and smiled happily at her idol…and even blushing a little.

"Thanks, Bass! I will never forget this day! It was the best day of my entire life!" Mila responded.

Bass's response to this was a grin. "Hope we will do this again someday! I totally enjoyed this match as much as you did!" He said before he raised up Mila's arm in victory.

And after he did this, the crowd began cheering loud as they loved when the fighters respected each other in sportsmanship.

Now, as Tina watched the her friend and Zack celebrating the victory as well as seeing Bass once more yelling for the crowd in a motivating way, all that she needed to do was trying to find a proper moment to clarify things with Zack since now she was fearing that he might be still mad not only to her…but also secretly to her father due to their trouble past…Even though Zack himself said that he wanted to change his ways. She still felt on the inside that maybe a little part of the DJ still retained his grudge towards the two Armstrongs.


	5. What am I?

Today was supposed to be a great happy day for Zack, since It has been two days of when he gave Mila the chance to realize her dream to fight her idol in the ring. And, after a tough match, she was the victor. And even if Bass lost to her, he still felt good and had no hard feelings towards her, since what he wished for was to entertain the crowd like he always did. And both Bass and Mila succeeded in doing so by fighting each other with extreme determination and holding nothing back. Zack felt so complete about the fact that his new lover was totally happy for all the good things he did for her and this was simply the best present he could possibly give to her. During the night of this day, however, just as he was driving to get back to his house, as it was late, Zack started to feel something inside him. Something that he never would have thought he would feel, especially for an easy-going kind of guy like him. And that feeling… was remorse along with regret. Not because of what happened two days earlier… It was due to something very different.

"What the…!?" He blurted as he felt distracted from this sudden feeling. He then shook his head and resumed in focusing on the road before taking the one that lead back home.

After he finally arrived at his house, he went inside the kitchen to catch a bottle of beer before he sat on the couch, in the living room, while turning on the TV. He took a big drink from the bottle and looked at some uninteresting shows as he sighed.

"So it's one of those days again... boredom and frustration as usual." He said annoyed.

He laid back and started to look at the bottle he had in his hand in a neutral way. There was something within him that was giving him frustration and a bit of anger at the same time. And he still didn't know what it was. Normally he would simply shrug at anything ''bad'' that may come to his way…but this time he was just feeling different.

"Why do I feel this way now? I have a new girl and compared to my previous relationship, she actually is still with me. And everything is fine and dandy, so... what's the point?" He whispered to himself.

Zack turned off the TV, as he had enough to for these shows that were either documentaries or a few repetitive movies that he already saw, before placing the bottle away and taking off his sunglasses, revealing his almost confused face. He then placed his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. And during that moment… he started to have memories of what he experienced so far throughout the years. He remembered of when he first met Bass and Tina and he started to grit his teeth as those times weren't that friendly. He still remembered like if it was yesterday. That moment when Zack was asking Tina out with the latter responding, annoyed, to look at himself in a mirror first before she threw that object at him…and he broke it in time. But the part that really made him then angry was when he thought about his 'goofball' attitude and how it bothered many others and not only. He then remembered when Bayman said that he creeped him out. And, once more, he remembered when Tina became angry with him because he mistook a woman named Sarah for her. All this memories were making him come to one conclusion. He failed to make people enjoy his company…since very less ones, including Mila, did the opposite. The DJ was feeling like dirt as he shook his head. He could now see that he never was funny to anyone before…no matter how hard he tried. For years he always thought he never disappointed his friends and maintained his positive energy…but now that he thought about it…he never had many or real friends as people actually couldn't stand him one bit. And it was all because of his attitude. He snapped after all this and smashed his fist on the side of the couch.

"Graaah!" He growled in anger.

He covered his face with his hands and fell back on the couch, groaning in agony.

"Just... what am I to anyone?! A brainless goofball, with no sense of consistency?!"

He then laid back again and looked at the ceiling in pure frustration.

"Was my life ever positive throughout these years? Did very less people ever even stand me in any way? …Am I really creepy?" He questioned himself while sounding weak.

He sighed in a sad way and his body eased up a bit, as he then stood up from the couch and went to his bedroom to let himself fall on his bed. He had to think of Mila. Not only because the two were currently having an affair, but also because he couldn't help but notice that, out of all the people he knew, she was one of the few ones that he never tried to 'bother' her and asking her out in his usual cocky way like he once did in the past with Tina and she never actually treated him in bad way, 'cause she too had a sort of easy-going attitude, even if not at his same level. And it wasn't like her to disrespect or look down on somebody. He wanted to talk with her so badly and so he took his phone. However, he then noticed that he just received a message and it was from none other than Mila herself. He was surprised at this and so he quickly opened the message and read it.

M: "Hey, Zack! I just talked to Tina moments ago here. And she asked if we can hang out tomorrow morning. She said that Bass is coming with her and I'm pretty excited! Would you like to come with us? :) "

The offer he just received surprised him. He never thought that someone would ask him to hang out with him like this. Normally he would already jump in joy and acting all crazy, but this time he actually had a different reaction. He was feeling insecure. He didn't know if to accept or decline because he now finally realized, after all these years, how he bothered a lot of people with his own behavior. And to make things worse for himself, with Mila there was someone he started to have a grudge against and that was Tina…and he still didn't get over it. He then answered the message.

Z: "I... I have to think about that... I am not feeling well right now. (I'm not sick, don't worry) I wanna chat with ya for a little while, maybe it will cheer me up a bit... :("

It didn't take long to receive the immediate response from Mila who immediately became concerned.

M: "Zack, Is something wrong?"

Once he received and read that response, Zack sighed again before looking somewhere else thinking if what he could say to her.

"I can't tell her...What shall I type instead...?" He mumbled. Then he finally answered.

Z: "Uhh...I guess it's the loneliness. It makes me a bit upset."

This made Mila relieved and responded with her usual cheerful attitude.

M: "Oh, so you're missing me, huh? That's why you're sad. I knew it. :3"

He felt a bit happy when he read that, but his sudden sadness returned to him and so he had no choice but to give her an answer that obviously made her concerned again.

Z: "Yeah...well, tomorrow morning I'll tell you If I feel like hanging out with you, Tina and Bass...I'm kinda tired right now. Sorry, if I sound like a lazy jackass, but... I really have to make up my mind, I am sorry for sounding rude..."

He was met with no response after he sent that message and was confused. But, after a little while, a sudden message-video arrived on his phone. He quickly opened it and, as the video started, he widened his eyes in surprise because he was seeing Mila laying half-naked on her bed and talking into the cam. She knew that Zack loved to see girls wearing revealing stuff and she did it on purpose in attempt to cheer him up from his sudden breakdown.

"It's alright, take your time, Zack. Call me, if you need any help with something. I will be there, whenever I can." She said in a peaceful way before the video ended.

He chuckled in a surprised way because this was surely unexpected for him. However, he returned to be sad because he just couldn't stop thinking about how he acted to everyone after all these years. He turned off the phone and laid on the bed while looking at the ceiling with an almost emotionless look.

"This is not myself eh..? I'm feeling like an hypocrite. First I convinced Bass to leave the past behind…and now I can't let it go when I even said that I could...!? Fuck!" He growled as he then smashed the side of the bed.

He tried to relax so much, to the point, where he literally lost all his strength and finally fell asleep... it got signified by loud snoring. And from that moment, he started to have a dream which later turned out to be a nightmare.


	6. The Nightmare

Zack found himself in the locker-room with his Muay Thai gear on as he was preparing himself for a match in the D.W.A arena. The match was a Tag Team one and his partner was Bass Armstrong himself. The two seemed to try to 'extend' their new friendship by fighting together as a team in the ring…something that never happened before. So this was the first time that Zack was teaming up with the very same person who was his archrival due to Zack's romantic crush on Tina. Bass had his mask on his hands before putting it on his head thus 'becoming' the so called Mr. Strong.

"So Bass, are you ready for this exciting match? We're finally a team eh?" Zack said in a happy way.

Bass's response was simply a chuckle as he finished warming up. "Yeah for sure! Let's give our best!" Then he looked at Zack in a curious way once he adjusted his bracelets.

"By the way...how's things between you and that girl? You know, I'm talking about my number 1 fan. I mean after she beat me that day…I saw you two kissing and having fun." Bass asked.

Zack started to smirk proudly as he adjusted his sunglasses and then folded his arms.

"Well, it is going absolutely great! Me and Mila are now a big happy couple! You have no idea how awesome it is to be with someone like her!" He said while sounding excited.

Bass scoffed a little before laughing almost arrogantly at what Zack said.

"I wonder what would have happened if I didn't actually prevent you to date my beloved Tina. Well...probably at this point, you have been her stool!" He said before chuckling.

Without noticing, Zack's face changed from a smirk to a serious one as his good mood immediately faded away 'cause he surprisingly didn't take that joke lightly. Bass then stopped chuckling and tapped Zack's shoulder before walking out of the locker-room.

"Well, now let's go out there and let us entertain the people like usual!" He said before going out of the room.

As he watched him leaving, Zack's face slowly turned into anger as what Bass just said was not what he thought of him after they became friends at the bar. Frustration was taking over him…but somehow he had to hide it not that they were about to team up in front of a crowd. Later on, they entered the ring together, accompanied with Bass's theme song and were greeted with a loud cheering from the crowd. Once they were finally inside the arena, Bass motived the crowd like how he usually did.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The ultimate Team up you have been waiting for has arrived! Let me present to you all... the host of the 5th DoA tournament, Zack and the wrestling-legend, Bass Armstrong!" The announcer proudly said.

While the crowd kept cheering for the two, Zack started to at Bass with a dirty smirk. Something that was untypical for him to do as he clenched his right fist in anger.

"Oh, you are a legend... a legendary asshole, I bet." Zack silently cursed.

Obviously, Bass did not heard what Zack said because he was too busy in yelling and motivating the crowd. As the match begun, the two faced two big tough fighters, The match was a very hard-fought one. Bass was handling one using his strength to overpower his opponent. Zack, on the other hand used his agility to knock the other opponent from behind. During the fight, Bass got hurled towards the corner and immediately prepared to defend himself by crossing his arms and blocking the incoming fists from the opponent. He waited for the proper moment to counter and before the opponent could finish attacking, Bass caught both of the rival's fists and headbutted him. Meanwhile, Zack managed to put the other opponent in trouble by low kicking him repeatedly until the latter fell on his knees. However, just as the Muay Thai fighter thought that he was going to win, the opponent suddenly grabbed him by his throat and raised him in the air.

"I wonder what is like being friends with the one who previously mocked your name." The opponent said.

Upon hearing that, Zack kicked him on the hip thus freeing himself from the hit and making him fall on his knees again and then he hit him with an enzeguri kick. It took a long while until the two former archrivals were floored, but eventually, both won with combined strength. The bell then rang as Zack and Bass won the fight.

"Here are your winners...ZACK & BASS!" The announcer yelled.

Bass did his typical winning pose and smiled widely.

"I'm just too damn...STRONG!" He exclaimed.

Zack was on a side on the ring with one arm wrapped on the ropes, as he looked at the crowd with a weak smile. It soon vanished as his look then changed when he gazed to the ground in seriousness before slowly turning to look at Bass who was still exulting at the crowd.

"Yeah! Tina! I hope you're watching from home!" Bass yelled.

Zack then started to gritt his teeth as he panted in anger silently by just watching him. He became even more angry upon hearing Tina's name. He could see Bass walking backwards towards him.

"Alright, alright! Wohoo!" Bass said.

And then, just as he turned around...he received a punch in the face by Zack, making the wrestler fall to the ground and causing the crowd to gasp. Bass touched his cheek as he looked confused and a bit pained after that sudden punch. Once he dared to look forward, he saw Zack charging and kicked him in the face, making Bass's head hit the mat. Zack groaned in anger and in agony afterwards as he put his hands on his head. He looked up while feeling somehow strange and still pissed. He then heard Bass whispering as he was still on the ground and slowly attempting to stand up.

"Zack...!?" He said in confusion and in pain.

Zack turned around and immediately kicked him forcefully again. Bass was unable to get up after that. The Muay Thai fighter looked down at him before getting out of the ring from the ropes. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, thus revealing Zack's narrowed and angry eyes. He revealed, afterwards, an almost emotionless look and he gazed at everyone around him before looking at the downed Bass in anger. He then tossed his sunglasses away and walked back to the backstage to then leave the arena.

At the same time, Tina and Mila watched the whole thing on the TV at Tina's house and both couldn't believe in their eyes. They were seeing the security helping Bass up in the ring after the sudden attack from Zack.

"What...!? Zack...why!?" Mila said in shock.

"What the fuck did he just do!?" Tina added.

Mila had her eyes still locking the screen of the TV and she felt incredulous after what she just saw. She shook her head while looking sad and still shocked.

"No... this is not happening...he didn't do that...no...!"

Tina looked sad too which is almost unusual for her to do. Then she let her fist hit the wall next to her in frustration. "Goddamnit! I knew this shit would sooner or later happen!" She said in anger.

After that, Mila stood up and searched for the phone to call Zack, who, meanwhile, after taking a quick shower and put his casual clothes back on, was walking on the streets. Some people even stopped and talked to him about what happened as they saw it.

"Yo, man. What did you do that? Wasn't he your partner?" One asked.

"Buddy, what happened to your attitude? Aren't you supposed to be a happy-go-lucky guy? Who would simply shrug if insults or mockery would come to your way?" Another one added.

Zack went on rampage as he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth at the same time before yelling right at the two men's faces. "GET LOST!"

The two guys immediately ignored him and walked away while feeling surprised. Zack watched them leave before noticing that other people were looking at him strangely after that sudden yell… and that only made Zack angry even more.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?" He kept shouting.

They then resumed walking, no longer paying attention to him as they knew that it was best to not worse things up. Zack then proceeded to walk away before he stopped on an alley and let his back hit the wall and then slowly letting his lower back hit the ground. He then placed his face on his palm as he shook his head and then smashing his fist to the ground.

"I've had enough of all this bullshit.."

He then heard the phone ringing and once taking it, he noticed that it was a call coming from Mila. But he did not want to answer as he most likely predicted an angry reaction coming from her since he just attacked her idol in front of the whole crowd. Just as he is about to turn the phone off...he suddenly heard Tina's voice in his head and she sounded pretty upset.

"Zack, come on. Pick up."

Zack became terribly enraged and so he finally answered the phone to see Tina using the cam to talk with him and Mila was with her. But even her couldn't stop him from yelling at the female American wrestler.

"I don't give a shit about any of your damn excuses! All you did was laughing at me and mocking my name, and that's all you and your disgrace of a wrestler-father have ever done to me! Nothing else! SO FUCK YOU UP THE ASS! AND YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELF! FUCK EVERYONE!" Zack cursed in front of the screen of the phone and this shocked the two girls.

And with that he closed the phone. He felt a bit of regret, but later he scoffed and quickly stood up to walk away. Tina and Mila kept having their eyes looking at the screen of the phone after hearing what came out of Zack's mouth. This was totally unlike him. Mila was holding an incoming tear while Tina stared at the phone with wide eyes.

"...I don't know who he is anymore." She said all of sudden.

Zack found himself on top of a building soon after. He took a beer from a bar and he drank it completely. He was at the edge of the building and he then threw the bottle beneath. He watched the beer shattering and he slowly approached the end of the building as he wanted to commit suicide. His depression and anger took over now and seemed to have taken away all the positive energy he used over the years…ever since he started participating in the DOA tournaments. But with everything that's happened…he no longer felt like how he was before…and blamed his old attitude for causing trouble like this. He wanted to end it.

"Fuck this world..." He said quietly.

However before he could end his own life this miserably...a raspy voice prevented him to do so.

"Zack!"

Zack widened his eyes a little before slowly turned around to see Bass, in his biker outfit, looking at him with a glare and with arms folded. Zack glared back at him before becoming angry again and looked at him in disgust.

"What the fuck do you want, Bass!? And how the hell did you find me!?"

"I saw you on the streets walking to nowhere before you got this strange Idea to come on top of this building. And you know what I want: Some explanations. If I remember correctly, you just attacked me earlier in the ring!"

Zack snorted as looked elsewhere else in anger and then back at him. "Don't even bother trying to find out, why I did that! I did it, because you deserved it for disrespecting me in the past!" He angrily said.

Much to his confusion, Bass had to wide his eyes after hearing what came out from Zack's mouth. "But you told me to let go of the past which I did! And you said that you could do it too!"

But then his looked changed into an angry one as he knew what this meant to him. "You lied to me, then! You let me down!" Bass said.

Zack clenched his fists again and growled so much. "What you said in the locker room before the match...Grrr...You didn't learn a damn thing! You're the one who let me DOWN!"

"What do you mean?!"

"That joke that you made! The one, where you thought, how it would have been like, if I really dated your daughter! Do you know how much you insulted me with that joke?!"

Confusions kept invading Bass's mind as he just couldn't get why Zack had that kind of reaction about a stupid joke like that. He then widened his arms open as he looked in an innocent-like way.

"Zack, I was joking." Bass said. But then he blocked an incoming kick from Zack. The DJ was attacking him now.

"Not in a friendly way! Now get lost! You're dead to me!" Zack angrily told him.

Now Bass started to lose his patience and became angry as well just after he blocked another incoming attack from Zack.

"Do you have any idea of what you're doing!? How would your girl react now that she saw what you did! Let alone if she knows what you're doing right now!"

Those words increased Zack's frustration before charging and attacking Bass once more. The Muay Thai fighter jumped and kicked him in Bass's chest making him flinch a little. The wrestler then found himself avoiding all of the spinning kicks that Zack kept throwing at him before catching the latter's knee, however the DJ managed to hit Bass with a spinning elbow attack soon after. While Bass was stunned, Zack took this to his advantage by tripping the wrestler and making him fall to the ground. Zack then went on top of him and grabbed his head while trying to punch him repeatedly in the face.

"I was like your and your daughter's BITCH! You viewed me like a fucking cockroach with you two stomping me all the time! I could have been simply IGNORED you like how I should have done you...asshole!" Zack said while punching Bass's face without stopping.

Then Bass caught Zack's fist and freed himself by pushing him away and then getting up and pointing at him while showing a bit of concerning in his eyes.

"That's not true! It won't make you feel any better if you say this false thing!" Bass said.

"Shut up!" Zack angrily responded before standing up and resuming attacking Bass with gatling kicks towards his chest. Bass sighed in desperation and kept blocking Zack's attacks until the latter started to fatigue. The DJ then stopped attacking and fell on his knees as he was tired, 'cause none of his attacks landed a hit on Bass nor did he put him in trouble.

"Just...Just go, Bass. Leave me alone." Zack said in desperation.

Bass showed something he never did before to him. And that was sadness and regret. At a nowhere, Mila and Tina arrived in the top of the building and they looked totally shocked upon seeing the two and realizing that they had a fight.

"Dad, what are you doing!? What's going on!?" Tina said.

Bass immediately turned around to see the two girls and got confused and shocked at the same time.

"Tina! What are you two doing here!?" Bass said.

Zack started to slowly get up and his hands began to shake as he became totally enraged by just hearing Tina's voice all of sudden.

"Why...why can't you LEAVE ME IN PEACE!?" Zack said before looking at them who looked back at him in shock.

Bass then tried to calm Zack down by putting his hands on his shoulder and also shook him a little while looking a bit angry and concerned.

"Listen Zack! Stop it! It's in the past now! Me and my daughter are no longer like that, alright!? Enough!"

"Saying ''it's in the past'' does NOT undo the way you disrespected me! And how you liked to mock me...just because I acted like an idiot and an eccentric person...WHILE I was only trying to appear friendly and make friends, that's it! But no, instead you want to act like if you're better and that people who act silly are just stupid and should be ignored! Is that what you think!? Oh, because in fact if people like me gets beaten: Praise! You're the heroes and I'm a sort of villain when I did nothing wrong in the first place! Is that what you all like view others who act silly or seem to be "creepy"!? Why am I keep living, anyway? If my presence only serves to anger people or to be always mocked and hated by them, then I should simply go away from this world! This will make everyone happy at least!" Zack said.

At this point, Mila lost her composure and then she shrieked at him in anger. "ZACK! STOP IT ALREADY! WE DON'T HATE YOU FOR GOD'S SAKE!"

But this did not make Zack feel good as he simply did not believe in her words.

"Hiding the truth won't solve the situation, Mila. But I don't care anymore...if you wanna hate me...then do it. hate me, but...YOU CAN ALL GO FUCK YOURSELFES!"

And with that Zack forcefully pushed Bass away with all of his strength. However that made him lose his balance because he flinched a lot since Bass was big. Zack, since he was at the edge of the building, started to fall off.

"Zack!" Mila yelled while Tina gasped.

Bass immediately ran towards the edge of the building and managed to grab Zack in time by the arm.

"Zack..! Stop...making a fool out of yourself!"

"Screw you!"

Shouts from the people in the streets were heard as they all looked up because they could see that someone was about to fall off the building and that someone else was there trying to save him.

"Bass...let me go."

"Are you crazy, Zack!?"

"I am! Since the first time you saw me...no...since YOU ALL FIRST SAW ME, YOU HATED ME! YOU WANTED TO BEAT ME UP ALL THE TIME! JUST BECAUSE I ACTED LIKE A SILLY MAN! I DO NOT WISH TO BE FRIENDS WITH ANYONE ANYMORE IF IT'S ALWAYS LIKE THIS!"

"Zack, please! I understand now! I'm sorry!"

That one made Zack pissed once more and it totally made him yell in pure rage.

"YOU HYPOCRITE! I SHOULD HAVE BROKE YOUR FACE WHEN I FIRST SAW YOU!"

Mila and Tina approached Bass. The MMA fighter was already in tears, while Tina was extremely sad and shocked at all this, especially after what Zack said once again.

"I'll tell you one more time, Bass. LET ME GO!" Zack demanded.

Bass had enough. He shook his head and closed his eyes before reopening them and used his strength to pull Zack up. However, the latter headbutted Bass, forcing him to lose his grip and so Zack fell off. While falling, all that he could hear was Mila's voice yelling his name before everything became white.

He was about to wake up from his bed at his house. Because...all of this was just a nightmare that he was having.


	7. Forming a bond of friendship

"AAARH!"

Zack shouted as he abruptly opened his eyes and finally woke up from the strange dream he just had. He panted heavily and his bed was drenched in his sweat. He looked at his clock and saw, that it was ten in the morning. He yawned loudly and stretches himself before looking at the sheets of his large bed with a confused look.

"Just... what the hell was I dreaming? Am I nuts?" He muttered.

He stood up and scratched his bald head before then going to the bathroom and shaking his head and cleaning his face with cold water. After that, he had to look at the mirror still in confusion.

"That sure was an odd dream there... I know, I don't trust Bass entirely yet, but I would never go and commit suicide like that… and become as insane as in that dream..." He said.

After that, he went to put his regular clothes on and went to eat something before sitting on his couch in the living-room to watch some TV. While watching the programs, he still had to think about the dream he had, because it felt so real to him. Like if it was really happening. If he really attacked Bass, thus shocking Mila and Tina and disappointing especially the MMA fighter. Zack shook his head before feeling relieved that it was just a nightmare. After a while, his message-sound rang on his phone and he picked it up to notice that it was message from Mila.

M: "Zack, have you decided? I'm already with Tina and Bass and we're in the diner where I work. They are even hoping that you come. And you know, that I wouldn't enjoy this more without you. :)"

That message made Zack surprised. He didn't reply to the message, as he simply put it in his pocket and went to his car, starting the engine, ready to meet up with them. Mila, Tina and Bass were keep waiting inside the diner and drank three glasses of chocolate milk, as they got something to prevent their throats from drying up. It took a while until Mila sighed and let her head hang on the table.

"Just... where is he...? I didn't remember him being this late. Normally he was almost always punctual..." She said.

"Oh, no worries, hun. I'm sure that he will come soon." Tina said as she tapped her friend's shoulder.

Bass folded his arms while smirking and chuckling at the same time. "It's not like we are in a hurry or something, aren't we? Hehehe."

Suddenly, they then hear an engine of a car approaching the diner. The three looked at the window and hoped that it was him. Just as they predicted, it was indeed Zack who exited his car and finally entered the diner to greet them while smiling widely.

"Here I am!" He said.

Mila wasted no time to go and hug him tightly and he hugged back. The Armstrong family smiled at this as they approached the two.

"Zack! Finally ya made it!" Tina said with a wink.

"It's so great to see you again!" Bass added.

Zack chuckled and scratched his bald head in embarrassment. "Thank you guys. I am also glad to see you all."

Mila kissed him on the cheek and then she looked like she pouted.

"Why have you come late?" She asked.

"Hehe, let's say...that I overslept." He told her.

Zack then sat down next to Mila and she ordered for him another chocolate milk. After that, Zack started to look glum again, which surprisingly concerned Tina, because she could sense, why he was upset. Especially after remembering the way he was behaving to her when Mila finally had her chance to fight her idol in a match.

"Zack... I think, I know what you're thinkin' right now..." She said.

Upon hearing that, Zack tried to hide it by looking at her and chuckling in a fake way.

"What? No, don't worry I'm good!" He said.

But this only make Tina more concerned as she knew that Zack was attempting to not show his sadness to her and to her father.

"No, Zack, don't hide it. Dad and I know what is wrong with you."

Zack gave in at this point. He sighed before placing his right fist on his head in annoyance.

"Oh yeah? Then let's hear it."

This time it was Bass who started to talk about Zack's problem as he folded his arms and looked at the DJ in a neutral way.

"Well, I can sense that right now you are feeling like a hypocrite. And I understood from that point on, you can't seem to get over our troubled experiences."

Zack raised his eyebrows without smiling.

"So? What are you going to do about it? Be mad at me? If that's the case, then I'm not surprised."

That made Bass feel a little bit awkward. "No, not really."

Zack became a bit angry now as he started to speak and having a sarcastic look.

"Oh really? I'm very impressed."

Tina could not take this anymore. She wanted to end and clarify this mess in peace once and for all. And to make this happen, she needed to tell Zack the truth about how the two feel for him now.

"Zack, my dad is not mad at you." She told him before putting her hand over Zack's and looked at him in a pleading way. This surprised him all the more.

"And we both also know that you're mad at us. Because we both treated ya like cowpie in the past two years, ever since we first met...please, stop being mad at us and leave anything that happened between us three behind. We did it first... and now it's time that YOU did." She said.

Zack couldn't believe about what he just heard. Especially since this came from Tina's mouth. Someone he would never thought would behave like this to him all of sudden. Mila also, was surprised at all this. She started to understand why Zack was upset the day before. No…something was not right. How could Tina behave like this to him now? He looked at the table before smiling and chuckling at the same time before looking back at Tina.

"Alright, who are you? And what happened to the real Tina?"

"…Wha?" She asked in confusion.

"Zack, we're serious." Bass said while sighing.

Zack, now, burst out in laughter because he couldn't believe that they were trying to be nice to him now.

"Oh c'mon now, you two can't be Bass and Tina! They would never show this pleading attitude towards a jerk like me!" He said.

This earned a chuckle to both Tina and Bass.

"No Zack, we're serious. I realized myself, that I was too hard on you. And my father is also sorry for insulting you and your name." Tina said.

Zack stopped laughing and returned serious. He then slowly showed a slight smile as he removed the sunglasses and the hat, revealing his eyes which shocked Mila and it surprised both Bass and Tina.

"You really are?" He asked.

Tina immediately nodded frantically as she smiled widely.

"Yes!" She exclaimed.

Bass stood up from his seat, approached Zack, and tapped his shoulder before smirking at him.

"Hey, like you told me at the bar that day: Forget the past and move on. I finally overcame it, thanks to you! But now, it's YOUR turn. You have to overcome the past and then our promise is complete." He said.

Zack was silent for a moment. He had one last recap about all the quarrels he had with the Armstrong family up to this point… but then looked up and grinned widely.

"Alrighty then! I will!" He exclaimed.

"Hell yeah!" Bass said happily.

Zack stood up from his seat as well. Bass offered him a bro-fist in which Zack accepted and so their right fists met. Tina then went over to Zack and did something that he would have never imagined. She hugged him comfortably. Zack looked very surprised at this and Tina noticed it. She couldn't help but chuckling and then having a little smug on her face.

"C'mon, don't be so surprised. We're friends, right?" She said.

"Yeah…" He muttered.

Once she broke the hug, Zack was then grabbed again, this time, by Mila. She placed her forehead on his and both stared at each other before Mila's lips touched Zack's. They kissed and Zack wrapped his arms around her hips, while smooching with her, with a few other people around them started to cheer and clap.

"Hey! Look for a tunnel, you two!" Bass jokingly yelled.

Tina felt happy now. She rested her right hand on her hip while looking at the couple with a smile.

"Aren't they cute, dad?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm happy for Zack, and I'm not ashamed to admit it." Bass responed.

Mila and Zack kept kissing, until she started to suck on his lower lip and he intervened his tongue with hers before they stopped to catch some air.

"I am glad it's over... now we can enjoy our relationship all the more..." Mila said.

"Yeah...and I'm sorry if I've hidden the real reason why I was upset yesterday night. I didn't want to 'hurt' you emotionally." He said with a blush.

She blushed as well and felt a little tear coming from her right eye but she immediately wiped it by covering it on Zack's chest.

"It's okay, Zack. It's okay." She said.

The Armstrong family then decided, now that the problem was resolved, to get to the real reason why they arranged to meet up in the diner.

"So…shall we hang out?" Tina asked happily.

Mila and Zack looked at each other before looking back at her and nodded. The three finally left the diner, with Bass following, to spend some time together as friends at last…with not more quarrels.


	8. Crazy Reunion

One week has passed since the day where Zack finally straightened things up with Tina and Bass after all the quarrels they had in the past, especially with Tina's dad. It was in the late afternoon-time, when Zack finally finished his work on Helena's ship, before finally making his way back to the New York docks to go and pick up his lover, who was also done with her own work today and waiting right now outside the diner to get picked up by him. And by the time the black Muay Thai fighter arrived, Mila has already fallen asleep, since this was the most busiest week for her. Seeing her sitting outside the diner with her head hanging, which signified for him, that she fell asleep, gave Zack a good light laugh, before exiting his car to help her getting into the back-seats, on which he softly positioned her just good enough, so that she can continue her little snooze.

"Well, considering all the amounts of work she had this week, it's no wonder to me, why she fell asleep, without having even reached her own bed yet... anyways, time to go." He said

Once he started the engine and began to drive, Mila started to feel her body, as well as her head, shaking all of sudden. She didn't know what was going on and that made her slowly open her eyes a little while still feeling sleepy.

"Huh...?! What is going on?! Who is-"

As soon as Zack realized, that his girlfriend had finally woken up from her slumber, he immediately confirmed who he was and let out an amused laugh at the same time, as it was hilarious, seeing her freak out like that.

"Oh, come on now! It's me, Zack! Chill out!"

"Zack?"

She then had to let out a really loud sigh of relief, as she now knew, who her driver was and carefully moved her entire, yet still exhausted body upwards, to get into a sitting position, before then slowly wrapping her arms around the driver's seat to get a feel of Zack's chest, which slightly surprised him, but didn't freak him out, as he kind of expected her to do that. While she did this, she started to speak again in a tired, yet really soft tone. It always brought a smile to her face, whenever she gets picked up by Zack and it never got old for her.

"And for a second there, I thought you were some kind of kidnapper... but who am I kidding here...?" She said in a peaceful way.

"No biggie, baby. And? Slept well?" He asked.

She nodded before letting her head rest on the back of her seat since she still was very tired.

"Well, yes, but...I guess I still need to get some sleep. This was a very busy day."

"And that is why I'm here, baby. I'm here to bring you back home. For someone who accomplished her dream thanks for her hard training and worked a lot in a diner, you sure deserve some rest."

The spanish MMA champ giggled, as she then leaned back in her seat once more to relax, before then noticing Zack trying to reach out to her behind his seat and to respond to that, she quickly stretched out her arm to unite her hand with his left one, before leading the conversation again with a contented expression on her face.

"And it's not only that, that helped me back in my game... if it hadn't been for the most loyal and reliable friend that I know of, I might have never gotten this far in life... it might not have been the longest time we have been together like this, but to me, it doesn't matter... because you already proved to me, even more than once, that you really are the best friend, that I could possibly ask for... despite you being condemned by others." She said.

Just then, Zack noticed Mila's house from a distance and smiles before he quickly arrived at destination and parked the car right in front of the apartment. He then turned off the engine and both stayed in silence for a while before Zack broke it.

"Friend…?"

Mila knew why he was questioning that. So she quickly leaned close to him and gave him a kiss on his cheek before smiling.

"But I know that we are becoming more than just friends."

She noticed him taking off his sunglasses, revealing a contented expression which made Mila smile cutely a little.

"You know I gotta ask…why would you hide your true face all the time by covering your eyes with your sunglasses when you have a very nice smile? Honestly you look much better without them." She asked.

Zack had to blush at that compliment before chuckling awkwardly.

"Alright, I'll be honest…but do not laugh ok…? I….I do not know. It's just that I always said to myself that I looked pretty cool with sunglasses and so…I had an habit of always wearing them." He said.

"Well, still, it's not really necessary to do that with me being present... because I long for your fully revealed face, as it proves to me, who you really are."

After she said that, she lightly put her hand over the sunglasses in Zack's hand and looked at him in an innocent way, as if she was asking for something.

"That's why... may I ask... in the near future, please take off your sunglasses, whenever I am with you, alright? It's not like I hate seeing you with them on, it's just... it makes me feel like as if you don't like showing who you really are and you hide it, by hiding your eyes." She told him.

Zack looked down and gave a sigh before smiling again and looking back at her, stroking her shoulder at the same time.

"Well…I'll try to. Yes. " He said.

She smirked before closing her eyes and slowly allowed her lips to touch his and he gladly returned it. The kiss didn't last long because soon after, Mila broke it and Zack kinda felt bad because he was enjoying it.

"Listen Zack…I just want to tell you, if you ever have some problems and you wish to talk to someone about it, like when you had that little issue with Tina and Bass last week, let me know ok? I'm here for you. " She told him with an innocent smile, gaining all of his attention.

"Probably, I could never fully repay all the wonderful things you did for me... but, at the very least, I want to emotionally support you as best as I can in your darkest of hours. I know, in some cases, I can't be that much of help, but my point is, you are NOT alone. Should anything ever bother you, to the point where you seek for advice, just know, that I am always willing to help you, no matter what it is, that lays on your heart."

She then softly brushed her hands down Zack's maw, while focusing her eyes on his gaze.

"Is that fine with you?" She asked after telling him her support.

Zack could not feel more surprised than he was right now and he wasted no time in smiling widely and playfully pressing his forehead on hers as well as playing with her nose with his.

"I never felt this happy in my whole life before. Thanks, Mily. " He said.

Mila giggled before giving him a smug and she also pressed her forehead on his as she returned his gesture. Then they ended up their little teasing with another kiss. But this time it was a long hot one. Eventually, they had to stop, because of Mila needing her sleep right now. So with that, they stopped the kissing-session and Zack allowed himself to carry his drowsy girlfriend up to her apartment. He opened the door to the back-seats and helped Mila out of the car, but then surprised her, by then completely scooping her up, to then hold her in his arms, bridal-style.

"Huh?!"

"Just relax, I am going to spare you the rest of the way up to your home. You can already close your eyes, if you want." He reassured her.

Mila chuckled while still looking very sleepy giving a sigh along with a smirk.

"Always the same Zack." She said.

She wrapped her arms around his neck before resting her head on the right side of his chest while he proudly walked over to the apartment. However, once they were right in front of the door, Zack started to have an comical awkward look.

"Mila...are your keys in your pocket?"

She raised her eyebrows before smiling and chuckling again and nodding.

"Yeah...do not worry, let me handle this..."

Zack nodded before she took the keys from her pocket and then he leaned over to the door so that she could then open it. Finally the two entered the house and Zack immediately brought her to her bedroom to softly place her on her bed.

"There you go. Sleep well my sweetheart." He said.

As he was thinking about leaving her room, the black Muay Thai fighter planted one final kiss on the plump, natural pink lips of his spanish girlfriend, which made a smile grow on her peacefully sleeping face, before he then turned around and finally about to left the bedroom as well as the apartment. However, just when he was outside again, he stopped in his tracks, reminiscing of Mila's words.

"Your loyalty is memorizing in every sense of the word... but can the same be said for me...? After all, I am the kind of man, that usually loves being surrounded by gals, that are equally as eye-catching as you are..."

Someone, he actually never wanted to think about ever again, suddenly came back into his subconscious.

"Niki..."

He then started to have memories of when she decided to leave him for two reasons. First because she could no longer stand his 'crazy' behavior and second because after that meteorites accident in his lasted island, she lost all the stuff she had and she put the blame on Zack for choosing that place to spend time together along with the girls invited, despite Zack not being aware of a possible accident like that. Afterwards, he put his sunglasses back on and returned inside the car as he started the engine.

"Do not think about it anymore, Zacky. It's all in the past...let us move on." He said to himself.

It all came back to him. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, he simply couldn't help but feel like crap again. And it got all triggered, when he and Mila talked about loyalty. The irony was stunning... he then had to remember, what Niki told him, the day before the two went separate ways. It started to echo in his mind.

 **"What is loyalty to you? Just hitting up on me, whenever we are alone, does NOT count as being loyal to somebody. And don't you dare lie to me, I know you just love being around with sexy ladies in swimsuits and that's it. I know you do. So you know what? It's over between us!"**

Zack began to sweat, as he continues to make his way back home to his penthouse. He thought again, though, upon seeing from a distance, a coffee shop. He decided to stop there.

"I guess I'll try to refresh a little before going back home...maybe the memories won't invade my mind no more." He said.

He parked the car beside others, exiting, and making his way to the coffee shop. While walking towards the bar...he noticed a figure sitting beside the entrance. He didn't know who it was even though his mind was telling him that it was probably a familiar person. When he took a closer look... his heart completely skipped not one but two beats. Before him, he saw a seemingly drunk and drowsy Niki, dressed in nothing, but a white fur-coat with a black, strapless, shiny dress underneath and accompanied, by a very nasty stench, emanating from her. Even though, he was very close to where she was sitting, she seemed to not have noticed him yet... and he used that moment of confusion to actually try and comprehend the fact, that he saw his ex-girlfriend, right to where he usually went to, to try and find his way again with the help of the bar's special coffee.

"Oh, God please be with me! What is she doing here, out of all places?! I thought she already moved out of town, two years ago!" He said in his mind.

However, just as he attempted to walk away…he immediately stopped after hearing her voice all of sudden. And she was calling him with a happy demeanor. Yes, it was Niki. Zack felt like if all hope was lost upon hearing her.

"OH! ZACK! Wow, What a coincidence!"

Zack had no choice at this point and turned around to face her…only to get surprised after receiving a hug from her. He didn't hug back, though, he was surprised and a bit confused.

"Hey, Niki...what are you doing here?" He asked.

He could sense, that she didn't really pay attention to his question and it clearly showcased that prediction, as Niki was more busy with embracing him.

"Oh, I just came by tonight to actually try and enjoy myself, nothing really worth mentioning. But man, what luck must I have to run into you today! It's not very often, that this happens." She said happily.

Zack's heart started increasing its pumping-velocity, but not out of positive excitement and more like out of utter anxiety and sorrows, on how she might react to the fact, that he himself was already taken. She broke the hug as he noticed, soon after, that her smile immediately faded away and became a bit serious.

"Why didn't you answer my calls? Or my e-mails?" She asked.

That made Zack confused. He didn't exactly know what she meant by that, especially since she even broke up with him. Despite that, he tried to stay at her "game".

"Well, you know I changed number for a while now and.."

"And you never tried to call me...! Fucking rude!" She interrupted him in an angry way.

Now Zack started to also lose his good side a little and began to protest and be angry a little.

"All right, why are you trying to get back with me? You remember you said that we were through? After my last island got destroyed by the meteorites? And you blamed me for losing everything you had there?" He said.

Niki shook her head before returning to look at him in a happy way, before speaking in a peaceful behavior.

"Pretend it never happened! I never needed that stuff that I lost back there! Now… say, did you receive the book I sent you? Or the flowers?"

Then something slowly began to dawn upon Zack, after having endured that awful smell, the overuse of perfume and make-up on herself and the way she presented herself in front of him.

"...Did you drink one too many?" He asked.

But, as expected, she denied.

"No, I am fine! I really am! I swear!"

He then decided to take a quick breath and show courage because he wanted to tell her the truth since he knew that the two broke up. And so even if Zack told her the fact that he was taken, it wouldn't make any difference to Niki now…would it?

"Listen Niki, You're a nice girl and all those times we've been through together were great but...but that doesn't change the fact you still dumped me. Now I've moved on and-"

He stopped upon seeing Niki's face becoming a sad one. He really hated that, but he had no choice...and so he gave in and kept going.

"...And I have a new girlfriend. Her name is Mila. And she's a spanish MMA fighter. I'm sorry Niki but-"

Before Zack could even finish his sentence, he found himself getting slapped in the face. And when he took a good glance at Niki's face, nothing but sadness and utter disappointment and anger emerged from her eyes.

"You're kidding me!? Now, you're the one who just dumped me!"

Zack started to lose his patience now and really became angry.

"What the hell are you saying!? We weren't about to hook up again because, like I told you, after all the mess that happened in the island and how you were mad at me that resulted in breaking up our romantic relationship, I simply did what a normal human being would do!" He said.

But, apparently, Niki wasn't listening to what he was saying as she kept mumbling something before pressing her hands over her hair.

"And here I thought I was ready to return back with you and finally marry you." She said.

That made Zack raise his eyebrows in surprise before chuckling a little and returning to be a little bit mad. At the same time he attempted to end the conversation so that he could return back home as quickly as possible since all this was, somehow, getting him frustrated.

"Marry me? Look who's talking! You kept saying it was always too early to get married which in the end I came to understand it! And no matter how many letters you send me or…how much you want to get back with me, it's over, Niki. You dumped me and I've moved on! Even if you would ask me to marry you a dozen times, the answer will STILL remain a crystal-clear: No. You've had your chances and now it's a little too late." He said.

Then, as Zack was expecting the worst, it hit him real hard, as his gaze then fell upon Niki's, trembling, open palm... all he could distinguish, were either white, or purple little pills. He immediately became alarmed and grabbed Niki's wrist.

"Hey, what's that in your hand!? Show it to me!"

Niki started to not feel a little bit good now. She still had her sad and angry look, but at the same time she was suffering and coughing before showing the bottle to Zack.

"You...would want me to suffer...then? Or even worse...you would want me to die...rather than returning back together with me...?"

"Niki...what is this!?" Zack asked while looking at the bottle.

"I...I just took a lot of pills this day...and I feel that I'm going to die..." She replied before she coughed even harder.

This made Zack reach his breaking point within an instant. He pinned her against the wall, shaking her all the while to try and talk some sense into her, before grabbing for his phone to call an ambulance.

"Have you gone mad?! I won't let rot like that here! Let me-"

Niki lashed out, by brutally grabbing Zack's arm, that was about to grab a hold of his own mobile phone and so started preventing him from calling any help for her, but the black DJ defended himself with all that he has.

"What are you doing!? Stop it!" He yelled.

But Niki kept trying to prevent him from calling any help and so Zack had no choice but to grab her and drag her to his car. Once he reached his vehicle, he pushed her to her seat after opening the door and then closed it before going to his own seat where there was the wheel and started the engine.

"Whe...where are you taking me...!?" Niki weakly asked before coughing once more.

Zack didn't answer to her as his eyes were now focus in driving to the nearest hospital. As soon as he reached the next best hospital, he noticed that Niki was no longer conscious and once he realized that, he began to panic, as he suspected, that she had not been bluffing about having set herself under the influence of drugs. He jumped out of the car, opened the door that lead to her seat and then quickly carried the unconscious, ebony woman inside.

"Help! We need a doctor! This woman is dying!" He asked with absolute concern.

The workers that just witnessed this, were surprised before eventually nodding and one of them went to call a doctor immediately while the others went to gently grab Niki's unconscious figure.

"What happened to her?" A worker asked.

"She...she told me that she took way too many pills. Please do something!" Zack replied with concern.

The worker nodded before carrying Niki, with the help of his colleges, to a room where the doctor will soon be there to heal her.

"Right. Do not worry, sir. We'll take it from here, I just hope we're not too late." The worker said.

Afterwards, Zack let himself collapse on a seat in the lobby, before then deciding to take out his phone and call Mila.

"Oh, my dear god. Grant me three wishes: Let me contact my girl, let Niki be alright again and wish me good luck..." He mumbled.

He selected Mila's number and then waited for her to pick up, even though he was beginning to have doubts about her being awake again since he remembered that she felt very tired. Just as he predicted, he was met with no response giving him no choice but to hang up. He sighed before standing up and returning back to his car to get back home.

"Oh well, not surprising...she was very tired. I guess I'll send her a message, hopefully she will see it once she wakes up."

With that being said, he started to type the message on his phone before sending it and heading back home.


	9. Crazy Reunion (Part 2)

After the strange reunion with his ex-girlfriend, Niki, and after bringing her into the hospital due to her taking too many pills, Zack found himself sitting on his chair in the kitchen at his house. He was about to go to his bedroom to get some sleep since it was pretty much late, but he just couldn't stop thinking at what happened earlier.

"Man...I never imagined that one day I would meet Niki again after all these years...and good lord, she's no longer herself..." He whispered to himself.

He then went to his bedroom to prepare himself to sleep before grabbing his phone and checking if he received some message but there was nothing. He had to chuckle a little.

"Oh silly me…do you really think Mila would wake up during the middle of the night?" He said before finally lay on his huge bed and sleep.

The next morning, The spanish MMA fighter, Mila, woke up happily before stretching herself since that sure was a good rest for her after all the work at the diner.

"Wow, that was a good sleep." She said before giving a sigh.

She stood up from her bed and went to put on her regular clothes. She sure was longing to go the gym and start training again as for her, would be very refreshing. And if she even had a sparring partner it would be even better as it would make her feel alive especially if it's either Tina or Zack. She never really liked to train alone. Once she finished putting her clothes on she went to put her MMA training gear on her backpack. Then she went to look for her phone and once she took it…she noticed a message. Her eyes widened after realizing that it was a message coming from Zack.

Z: "Mila, it's me. Remember when you said that you would have helped me if I'd have a problem? Well, guess what? I have a problem now...it's about someone I used to know. And I'm...really feeling upset about what just happened after I brought you back home. Don't worry though, I'm not injured or something like that. At the gym, tomorrow, once I'm done with the work, we'll discuss it."

She quickly turned her phone back and once she read through the message, she became deeply concerned. She remembered how punctual Zack normally was, despite not being all the time, and so she quickly ran to the bathroom to wash herself and then taking the backup, putting it over her shoulder and left her house to head quickly to the gym. Once she arrived she got greeted by her coach who chuckled after he saw her panting in exhaustion.

"Mila! It's good to see you again. It's been a little while and I can totally understand it since you told me that you had to-"

The coach got cut off after Mila looked at him with concern and interrupted what he was trying to say.

"Coach, where is Zack? Is he here?" She asked.

He got surprised at her sudden question before chuckling again in a happy demeanor.

"Him? He still comes here? Haha, not surprising after I saw the way you two were having fun, hm? "

However his look changed to a serious one after noticing that Mila wasn't really in the mood for teasing.

"Well I haven't seen him coming here. I guess…I guess he hasn't showed up yet." He said.

Mila nodded without saying anything before quickly heading to the changing room for the females to leave her backpack in her own locker and then leaning to the door outside as she waited for Zack to arrive. It took a little while for him arrive as Mila was really starting to get concerned even more. She saw, from a distance, Zack exiting the car and walking towards and waving her at the same time. She felt relieved a little before going to hug him.

"Finally you're here." She said before noticing him having a weak smile. She got concerned again.

"Zack, tell me. What's wrong? What happened, yesterday night?"

He raised his hands in defense after she asked that.

"Wow wow, slow down. Let us first prepare ourselves in there and then we'll talk about it."

"No, Zack. I need to know now! I don't want to be very worried while we train."

At this point, the black DJ gave in as he sighed in defeat.

"Alright then...you remember when I told you about my ex-girlfriend, Niki?" He asked.

Mila started to wide her eyes as she got suspicious after he asked about his ex-girlfriend. She fully hoped that he didn't cheat on her because that would definitely disappoint and sadden her especially since the way he had treated her so far.

"Don't tell me that…"

Zack knew what she was trying to say and so he immediately reassured her by stroking her shoulder.

"What? No no, I would never try to do something like that to you, Mila." He said and that made Mila feel relieved, although Zack started to become sad and a bit shocked.

"But she...oh my god… she has got insane! After I met her yesterday she began having a sick obsession on me! I even noticed that she took a lot of pills and she was dying. I had to bring her to the nearest hospital I could find since she was also preventing me to call help. While driving she lost conscious and I was starting to feel the worst…fortunately I arrived at the hospital time. Now the doctors are taking care of her, but still you have no idea what she has just become! And I doubt that she will leave me alone if she leaves the hospital fully recovered. Hell, she knows that I have you as my girlfriend...well I told her, because I had to let her know the truth. How could I know how she would react? I thought she would have simply forgot me." He explained.

After learning this, Mila gasped as she covered her mouth in shock.

"Are you serious now?! All because of you, she became this sick in her mind?!" She said afterwards.

"That's what I was thinking..." He said before looking somewhere.

"…all because of my attitude! Being a brainless goofball, and look what I just did! I turned someone from a normal person into a real CRAZY one!" He continued before looking depressed.

"Maybe now that I think about it... I should have probably never existed... I realized that I caused nothing but ruckus to anyone... no wonder why everyone hated me... it's because my presence is like poison to the soul."

Mila really hated to hear that from him. She grabbed by his t-shirt as well as looking at him in a serious way.

"Look at me. And take off your sunglasses. I want you to REALLY look into my eyes." She demanded.

He did so, thus revealing his sad eyes but Mila didn't care as she kept going.

"First of all, you haven't caused 'ruckus' to me to beginning with. And second, don't you dare even say that something like that! Tina, well, teased you in the past, sure, but I'm pretty sure not in a hateful way. As for Bass, you know about his overprotective attitude. But that was in the past, right? Now, you even get along with them, and that's a good sign don't you think? I'll bet that you keep this up you might get along with everyone. As for your ex-girlfriend...don't blame yourself about her current behavior. She must have had some personal problems that probably concerned her a lot that turned her into whatever she is now."

Her eyes narrowed and she pinned him against the wall.

"And before I forget, you were the one, who saved me from my hated brother more than two times and you can't deny, that it made you feel less bad about things than ever! And the reason why I love you…like I told you, is because YOU have a confidence and fighting spirit that nobody has matched so far! There may be people that see you as a nobody or even a joke, but to me... you are something! Don't you even dare to say that you shouldn't have existed in any way EVER again!" She said.

Zack could only feel speechless and widened his eyes. He never received this kind of praise from someone, aside from Niki. He truly didn't know what to say.

"Mila...I-I-"

"Be quiet and prove to me, that you finally got it!"

She proceed to wrap her arms around Zack's neck and kissed him and sucked on his lower lip, and he did the same in return, before then part from each other for a bit to go to a more private place to kiss... the changing room for males inside a cabin... both resumed kissing there, already wearing their respective training clothes, before then Zack speaks for a bit.

"Thank you, Mila... really... I never thought in my whole life, that someone would ever see me as a good person..." He said.

"For me...you always were a good person. Sure anyone can have 'strange' behaviors, acting all goofy, but I know that deep down they can still be good hearted people. And I knew since the first time I saw you, that you were a good man." She responded with a smile.

The two then stood up as she began to stroke his back as well as showing a very cute smile that made Zack blush and almost smile in his typical way.

"Let us now train in the ring and forget about all the bad things we both had, ok?"

He nodded and left the room with her, but before they did so, Zack wrapped his arms around her slender belly and kissed her on the neck.

"Let's do it... and once we are finished, I will invite you to a round of Seafood paella. The ones you liked the most. I know a good restaurant that serves that kind of food." He told her.

Mila felt flattered at this as she closed her eyes and felt a bit turned on before resting her head on his right shoulder and whispering.

"Yes...! I can't wait...!"

Then both went out of the locker room and get in the ring and stretched themselves, ready to have a sparring match. Mila bumped her fists together before smiling and doing her fighting stance.

"You ready, Zack?" She asked.

Zack looked to the ground a bit as he hoped that everything will be okay and that he will overcome the problem with Niki. He smiled, looked back at Mila and went into his fighting stance as well.

"Come at me, baby!" He responded.

The two charged at each other and begin to have a big hard sparring session. Hours, then, passed and both were extremely tired as they are sitting on the mat completely sweaty from the hard sparring they just had after they decided to call it a day. Zack stood up even if he had it hard as the punches and kicks he received from Mila were no joke.

"Argh...wow! That was good, eh?" He asked.

Mila nodded and stood up hardly as she too received very hard kicks from Zack. They then approached each other and Zack started to tap her shoulder.

"You really know how to cheer me up and make me feel like myself again. Thank you, Mily." He complimented her.

"I could say the same to you when it's the opposite." She responded.

The two felt like they needed a moment for a good embrace and they did. Both stayed like that for a while ,and the coach was chuckling in amusement before resuming training someone that was beside him, before Zack broke the silence that was taking over and nuzzled his cheek against hers.

"Alrighty, what shall we do now?" He said.

All he could hear, after that, was a chuckling coming from Mila. And that made him confused.

"For a moment I thought I was the forgetful one."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you want to invite me to a round of Seafood paella?" She said while smirking in a lovely way after mentioning her favorite food.

Zack laughed at this point, admitting that he totally forgot about it.

"Hahaha! It appears that those punches you threw to my head during the sparring match probably made me forget it for a moment!" He joked.

She also laughed a little a the joke before giving him a kiss on his cheek and gave him a peaceful smile.

"Anyway, it was only a tease. Let us just go." She said with a wink.

He smirked before stroking her hair and then helping her removing her black gloves. Both then get off the ring and went to the hall that conduced to the locker-rooms. While both being there, Zack also invited Mila to take a shower with him in the men's room. Mila blushed and hesitated at first but eventually agreed since probably nobody were there it that moment because they were most likely off to have lunch. After they finished taking the shower together, Mila quickly took a towel and wrapped it over her body. She could hear Zack humming as well as taking his own towel and doing an awkward Michael-Jackson like pose and sound.

"I like sweat-soaked boobies like yours!" He said.

Mila blushed madly before chuckling as she knew that this was typical for him to say that and she got used to it. After being dried out and put their regular clothes back on they left the building.

"Wow...that was the best shower ever...!" He said with enthusiasm.

"I have to agree." She said.

He wrapped one arm around her and kissed her cheek, making her smile.

"It just makes my day, just to see our connection grow stronger and stronger after every passing day!"

Mila felt very happy to hear that and so she kissed his cheek in return. They headed to the car to go the restaurant that Zack talked about before he and Mila had the sparring match. While doing so, he was feeling better to the point that he almost forgot about the problem with Niki. His thoughts about it were immediately interrupted by Mila.

"Let us go, Zack. I'm starving here."

"Right! Let us move!" He said before speeding away from the gym and drove directly to the next traditional spanish restaurant.

After arriving at destination, Mila pointed the direction of the restaurant and smiled widely.

"There it is, Zack!"

"Awesome!"

He parked the car near the restaurant and both quickly exited the car and went inside with Mila feeling more alive than ever.

"Man, it's been awhile since I last ate Paella!"

Both sat down on a table near a window and after they were in their seats, Zack put his hands over Mila's and looked at her in a soft way, making her smile as well.

"When you smile... I smile too."

"I thought I was supposed to say that." She joked and both chuckled at it.

After ordering, the waiter arrived with two plates with the Seafood paella and Mila, after sniffing it, closed her eyes and felt very pleased.

"Oh my, it smells great as usual."

"I'm very happy to hear that!"

She then began to feel curious.

"Have you ever tried it?" She asked.

Zack shook his head.

"Nope. But I'll give it a try…of course, I won't spit it back to the plate if I don't seem to like it, don't worry!" He said before chuckling and she did so as well. Half an hour passed and both have finished eating and Mila felt pleased again. She then noticed how Zack ate the food without any problem and that made her give him a little smug look.

"I take it that you liked it?" She asked.

"Hehe, yes…not bad really." He replied.

Mila then decided to change topic of their conversation while the waiter came back to take the empty plates away.

"So…how do you feel now?"

Zack sighed before looking at her with a little smile as well as shrugging and chuckling at the same time.

"Well, what can I say? As long as the day goes like this…I guess I feel good."

Mila smiled again while Zack stared at her before giving a look to the window. His smile quickly faded away, upon seeing, from the window, a familiar figure walking on the streets. He hoped it wasn't her…but instead it was indeed Niki. Mila got concerned after seeing Zack's shocked look through the window. She also looked at the window and became a bit confused.

"Mila, we have to leave. Now!" He demanded.

"What's wrong? Oh wait…is it her?" She asked.

He nodded and both shocked themselves because Niki was on her way inside the restaurant. She must have probably saw them when the two were busy eating.

"Uhoh... what shall we do?!" Mila said while starting to panic.

"To the bathroom, quick!" Zack suggested.

Both then run to the bathrooms, before Niki entered the restaurant. She started to wander around in search of him.

"Where is he...!?" She said quietly.

Zack peeked to see the situation and upon seeing her wandering around, she sweated nervously, and Mila kept being concerned about him.

"C'mon, Niki…how much is she gonna stay there…!?"

Niki was still wandering around, however she was away from the exit and that gave Zack and Idea as he then whispered to Mila.

"Mila, when I tell you, let's get outta here as quickly as possible without doing some noise. I don't think she'll be able to detect us."

"Ok…!"

Just as Niki was still searching and was distracted, Zack and Mila, after quickly paying, managed to get out of the restaurant. It went fine to them, however, little did they know, once they were in the car ,starting the engine and go...that Niki saw them and widened her eyes in anger. She quickly exited the restaurant and ran to a taxi nearby and she threatened the driver to follow Zack's car without trying to give him the impression that it was chasing it and the latter nervously agreed.

Zack and Mila went far away from the restaurant and stopped to a little park that was near "Brighton Beach".

"Maybe she won't find us here…"

They got out of the car and both laid down in a little clearing on the grass as Zack panted in exhaustion and looked at the blue sky. Mila, concerned, tried to comfort him by embracing him gently.

"So, that was your ex?"

Zack nodded as he kept looking at the sky in an insecure way.

"Yes, that was Niki... my ex-girlfriend from the time, before we met each other."

"Don't worry, everything is gonna be fine."

"Mila, how can I not worry myself? What I just feared is true, she really has that sick obsession for me! And won't leave me alone! And who knows what the hell she has in her, now, twisted mind! Hell, I can even imagine, that she might become THIS delusional to the point, where she... could become literally the audacity of a murderer!"

Mila became confused before tapping his shoulder in attempt to relieve him from this expectation as well as trying to figure out a way to fix this little mess.

"Oh c'mon now, don't exaggerate."

"Mila, it can happen!"

"What if we try to reason with her? Maybe she'll understand that what she's doing is wrong."

Zack started to have a serious look at this.

"You think I haven't tried? I did so when I met her yesterday, but no! She's freaking crazy!"

A sudden and familiar voice interrupted the two and after hearing it, Zack widened his eyes in shock same for Mila.

"Zack!"

The two stood up and just after turning around, they saw Niki standing right in front of the two with a glare. Mila just didn't know what to say now as her heart started to beat fast.

"Oh Jesus! Niki!" Zack exclaimed.

However, Niki started to have a small sad look as she looked somewhere else, giving the impression that she was feeling ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Zack...we can't be together anymore...you can't have me..."

That made him feel relieved as this kinda meant to him that the only reason why she was strange the other day was only because she was just stressed about something else.

"Oh so, you just wanted to apologize? I see. Well, that's ok, Niki. I accept your apology."

Zack's hopes were up after he noticed his ex-girlfriend starting to glare again at him and he started to sweat nervously once more.

"It must be easy for you. Thinking of me as being crazy it must help!" She said.

"No no! Look, I-I'm sorry. It's just...you were just doing some crazy things! Like taking those pills, or 'staking' me like you did a few seconds ago. And to think I actually thought I was the crazy one."

Niki gritted her teeth in anger as she narrowed her eyes.

"You're not crazy, Zack. You're simply selfish! You don't care about anyone except yourself! You just talk and harass people especially women and you ignore them! You think this is all a game to you, right?" She coldly said.

Now Mila starts to get angry as she did not take lightly what Niki has just said to Zack.

"I think you don't know Zack that well, do you?! Because I've been together with him for a while and so far, he never acted like he didn't care about me! He saved me from troubles once and even helped me in realizing one of my main dreams! Oh and if you do not know, he even saved his boss from committing suicide! Who are you to say that he is selfish, huh?!" Mila said angrily.

"Mila, wait I-" Zack said before stopping after Niki interrupted.

"Oh really!?" Niki said before showing a knife in her hand.

This shocked both Zack and Mila and anyone that were close to them started to shout in panic and someone was already starting to call 911.

"What do you intend to do with that!?" Zack asked in a shocked way as he pointed his index finger at the knife.

Niki was slowly walking towards them.

"If you still love me...you would come with me again…!" She said.

Zack sighed in a stressed way at this point.

"I don't love you anymore for fuck's sake! But still, I don't want you to behave like this! If I'm the reason why you became this sick in your mind...then I'M SORRY! Please!" He said while showing a pleading look.

However, Niki had now her eyes focused on Mila who was looking at her confused and still shocked.

"Wha-"

"You are the reason why I'm suffering even more than NOW! Only watching you bleed...WILL MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!" Niki said before dashing towards Mila.

Zack wasted no time in immediately step in and shield Mila while yelling at the same time.

"NIKI! WHAT ARE YOU-ARGH!"

He gets slightly cut in his right hip by the knife and fell to the ground as well as groaning and covering the wound that was starting to bleed. Mila had no time in screaming Zack's name as she got tackled to the ground by Niki. She held Niki's arms to prevent her to stab her. Niki shook violently and fought like a wild animal and her knife got closer to Mila's throat, but then Zack rammed Niki on the ground, hitting her away from Mila and pinned her down on the grass, by grabbing her arms and being close to her face. He looked at her in a pleading way and spoke like if he was about to cry.

"Niki... I beg you... if you really still love me... then stop this and leave Mila alone... I am really sorry for treating you like nothing when we were together... I was just blinded by my pride and ambition to become the richest guy in the world. And in the process... I hurt your feelings... please, stop and give me the knife..." He said.

Niki felt tears in her eyes upon hearing that, but then she closed them and shook her head while growling in anger as well as screaming.

"...ZACK!" She yelled before kicking right in the wounded hip, making him yell in pain and fall down.

"I won't fall for that anymore! I've had enough of you, now!"

Niki was then about to stab him, but the cops soon arrived and interrupted her by grabbing her and knocking her down. Afterwards They took her away in the car. Mila quickly ran to Zack and was shocked to see him bleeding from his hip. She quickly took off her red-shirt, wrapped it tightly around his hip, making the bleeding stop before picking her cellphone to call an ambulance. After that, she held him while waiting for the ambulance to come. She stroked his bald head before kissing it while having a very worried look.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Mila said in attempted to reassure him.

Zack was feeling weak while he was panting hard before he closed his eyes and fell unconsciousness.


	10. Crazy Reunion (Final)

Zack found himself laying in a bed in the hospital after what just happened. He still felt a bit powerless, but still he could stand up without any problem if he wanted so. Once he barely opened his eyes… Mila, Tina and Bass were there to check out on him if he was alright... which he was, as he was starting to stir and opening his eyes while groaning. The three felt relieved, but Mila was the most relieved as she then softly grabbed his head and, slowly, kissed him. Zack was confused at first because he just opened his eyes before then smiling a little and kissing back. Then, they broke it and Mila looked at him with an innocent happy look.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She said.

At the same time, Bass and Tina approached the two.

"You okay, buddy?" Bass asked.

"Mila just told us what happened. I'm very sorry, Zack." Tina added with a sad look on the face.

Upon hearing that, Zack, immediately, remembered what happened before he ended up in the hospital: Niki came in and attempted to attack Mila with a knife, but he threw himself in front of Mila, getting injured himself from the attack. It resulted in her getting arrested and him to lay now in a hospital bed. He groaned a little and rubbed his face.

"Oh man... life freaking sucks sometimes... What happened to Niki? Did she get into an asylum or something?" Zack asked.

Mila, Tina and Bass looked at eachother in a confusing way as they actually did not know where Niki possibly ended up. All they could simply do after the accident was to simply know how Zack was feeling. Mila resumed, then, to look at Zack with concern.

"We don't know, but probably."

Zack sighed in sadness and that concerned Mila even more as she slowly went beside him to stroke his shoulder.

"How long was I out...?" He asked.

"A while ago, fortunately, the doctor said that the wound is not serious. You got lucky that girl didn't cut you deeply in the hip." Tina responded.

Zack looked down before closing his eyes…and then reopening them, revealing a serious look as he lifted himself up and stood up from the bed, shocking everyone. Mila tried to put Zack back in his bed, but he resisted and then pushed Tina and Bass, who were also trying to put him back in the bed, aside to get through.

"Zack! Where are you going?!" Bass said.

Zack panted as he still felt a bit of pain in the hip before looking at the three with a glare.

"In which asylum was she put in?! Tell me, I have to get to her!" He said.

The pain in the hip, however, took over once he said that, and so he started to collapse. Mila, quickly, grabbed him before he could touch the ground.

"First of all, Zack, you're not fully recovered yet. And second, like we just told you, we don't know if she's at an asylum or not!" She told him.

Zack growled and brought himself back on his legs.

"I…don't give… a d-damn! We will just ask the police-department where they put Niki! As long as I am here, I won't get any peace, but nothing more than emotional pain. Drive me to the police-department, now!" He responded.

Tina and Bass join in holding him as he still was struggling to stand up due to the injury.

"But what are you going to do if you meet her in wherever she is now? For what Mila has told us, she's got insane!" Tina said.

"Yes, but when I told her to stop, I could sense, that she wanted to. But she couldn't, because Mila was near me! If I go into her room alone, she will probably listen!" Zack told her.

After hearing that, Mila started to become sad and feeling a bit guilty as she looked somewhere else, giving the impression that she was feeling ashamed. Zack noticed it, once he turned around, and wrapped one arm around her back to comfort her.

"No, this won't mean that I don't love you anymore, Mily. I love you more than you think. All I wish for Niki is to snap out of it. There has to be chance to redeem herself." He said with a weak smile.

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips in which she returned it and stroked his back. After a few seconds, they stopped kissing and she smiled back.

"I love you too, Zack... and now that you want to resolve the problem between you and your ex-girlfriend, I love you more, because you just proved to me, that now you care more than ever about your life rather than eternal wealth... let us drive you to the police department."

Tina and Bass felt a little bit shocked after they heard what came out of Mila's mouth at the end of her sentence.

"But, are you sure you can go out now? You're not fully recovered yet…" Tina said.

Zack chuckled before turning to her and giving a little smug.

"Don't worry, Tina. I can handle it. Your wrestling moves really got my bones cracked the last time we encountered, and I was still able to stand up! I had it worse." He said.

For the first time in her own life, Zack had made her blush and couldn't help but to giggle silently. Bass, instead, nodded at Zack feeling sure to go and agreed to take him to the nearest police department to find out where Niki ended up.

"Alright then, we shall accompany you." He said.

Zack, then, had to convince the doctors to go and even if it was hard to do it, he managed to succeed. He put his clothes, slowly and carefully to avoid touching the now bandaged injured hip, back on, and along with Bass, Mila and Tina, he went outside to see his car parked in front of them. Since Zack was injured, Bass suggested to drive.

"Let me drive the cage."

With Bass on the wheel, Tina beside him, and Mila and Zack behind them, the four went to the nearest NYPD. When they have arrived at the department, Zack asked the police officer where Niki ended up. After telling him the full name, the police officer checked on his database on the PC to look where he and his people put the woman Zack was referring to. The police officer nodded again before showing to Zack a picture of the possible girl Zack was talking about. Much to the his shock, it was indeed Niki on the picture. The DJ said that it was her and the police officer revealed that she has been taken into an asylum near Brooklyn. Zack, then, took the note with the address on it and then left, with his friends, the department to get back in the car to drive Brooklyn. While going, Zack warns them that once they have arrived, they must wait for him until he was finished. Both Bass and Tina agreed with this. Mila too, although she was hoping that nothing terrible would happen afterwards. Finally they arrived at destination. They could see that giant word that said ''Asylum''…it was indeed where Niki was.

"Be careful in there, Zack." Mila told him.

Zack's response to this was to simply hug her and kiss her on the cheek. He exited the car and made his way inside the place. He could hear a lot of screams coming from a lot of people that were inside their cell. Zack felt a bit disgusted at this before asking to the reception to ask where Niki was stationed. After he got the information, he went with the doctor to Niki's cell... and once Zack took a step inside, he saw his former girlfriend sitting on the floor depressed.

"...Niki?" He dared to say.

Upon hearing that, Niki widened her eyes because the voice she heard was way too familiar to her, and just after seeing Zack...she went in rampage.

"...YOU!" She screamed.

She ran towards him, but the doctor quickly grabbed her and held her to prevent her to go further as she shook like a crazy and kept yelling.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT, ZACK!? GET LOST! I HATE YOU! I HATE THAT BITCH OF YOUR NEW GIRLFRIEND! I HATE ALL OF YOU!"

Zack let his head hung down in sadness, but... then he snapped and run towards her, shocking the doctor, pinning her against the wall, by grabbing her arms and yelling back at her.

"OK, I GET IT! YOU HATE ME! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?! I AM SORRY FOR ALL THIS MESS! IT WAS MY OWN GREED, WHICH TURNED YOU LIKE THIS! IT'S NOT MILA'S FAULT, IT'S MINE! IF YOU WANT, LET YOUR ANGER OUT ON ME, HELL, YOU CAN EVEN STAB ME IF YOU WANT, BUT I WON'T CARE, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY STILL LOVE YOU AS A FRIEND!"

That made Niki widened her eyes as tears already started to fall from them.

"…Love me…?"

Zack panted from the yelling and tried to speak calmly.

"Like you said, we can no longer be together like before...but still, we can be friends. I don't want you to be like this..."

His grip softened on her and then hugged her warmly and tenderly, making her eyes wide in complete shock, while Zack spoke in a comforting tone.

"Niki... I must apologize for all this trouble I had to put you through, because of my selfish greed... you were greedy too, and we both were together in a completely false way... and I am sorry, that it hurt you that much... I didn't know you loved me this much..."

Niki was feeling other tears running from her eyes.

"So...you still care about me...?" She asked.

"I do! Even if I have a new girlfriend, that doesn't mean I no longer care about you. Because like I told you...I changed my ways. And I really want you to change as well. I don't want you to suffer like I did a few weeks ago because of a little issue I had." He responded.

She then hugged him tightly and started to sob into his chest, while he stroked her hair and he cuddled her to calm her down.

"...Zack... I AM SO SORRY!"

"Shhh... it's fine... I understood what you had to go through because of my stupidity..."

She felt very desperate as she now really knew that what she just did was just wrong.

"I was also the stupid one, wasn't I? I dumped you just because you lost my stuff from the old island that got destroyed by those meteorites and for having a wrong image about you...if it wasn't for my idiocy... maybe this would have never happened…"

"Well, what can we do? We were both greedy assholes back then." He said with a chuckle in attempt to relieve her in which he succeeded.

Then Niki looked down again in sadness.

"But it still hurts me inside... that we were a couple back then, without any substance... and I confess, that even though you were a complete goofball, you were still a funny guy and someone enjoyable to be around with... and because of all these values, I only want ONE last request..."

She blushed a bit in embarrassment while looking at him in a shyly way.

"C-Can... I kiss you...one last time? J-Just so that I can see... what I truly missed..."

Zack widened his eyes and sighed a bit before nodding. After all this was only a request of hers. Even though his heart belonged now to Mila, he still didn't want to see his ex-girlfriend suffering anymore, since he also got to feel the same thing. Niki widened her eyes again, but this time in happiness before kissing him slowly on the lips. Zack closed his eyes as he allowed the kiss to go on. Once Niki felt satisfied, she stopped and smiled.

"Thanks, Zack…"

He hugged her again, but this time she returned it.

"And how are you feeling now? Better?"

"A lot! thanks!"

This was watched by the doctor that witnessed the whole situation and he couldn't help but to grin a little. Zack ran his hand through Niki's white hair and smiled in his usual warm way.

"And to be fair... being with you wasn't so bad, aside from our stupidity... being together with a super-hot woman like you, would have been maybe even better. But I still love Mila more, because she cheered me up and brought me back to life... and now it was time I bring YOU back to life." Zack said.

All that Niki could do now was to simply sigh in relief while having a peaceful look, now that she was aware of Zack not being what she thought.

"Thank you Zack...for healing me from the madness that was in me."

Zack never felt this happy in his life.

"Heh, I'm a great doctor ain't I?" He joked as he laughed a little. Niki chuckled silently before Zack became curious.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I think I'll return back home...back to my family. Well, as long as the doctors allow me to go…"

Zack tapped her shoulder before asking in an uncomfortable way.

"Do you need any financial support from me? If so, then let me know, alright?"

Niki nodded before noticing Zack smiling at her in which made her smile too.

"Take care, ok?" He said with a wink.

Zack started to walk off waving her at the same time and she waved back.

"I'll never forget you, Zack!" Niki said.

"So won't I, Niki! Goodbye." Zack responded.

He then told the doctor that he can release her from the asylum as she was fine now and once Zack was walking in the corridor of the asylum... he looked down, but then looked back up, smiled widely and raised his arms in the air in a victory-like.

"I AM FREE OF SORROWS NOW! I NEVER FELT SO GOOD!" He said before jumping in the air. However, once he did it, he felt pain on his hip again and comically touched the wound.

"Ough! Damn I forgot about that…! How could I be so clumsy…!" He said before chuckling.

He took a quick and relief sigh before exiting the asylum and heading back to the car where his friends were waiting for him. Since he was smiling, while getting inside, it made Tina, Mila and Bass smile back at him.

"So, how did it went?" Mila asked.

Zack instantly, but carefully, pulled her into a tight hug.

"Mily, it worked! I am all good now with her! That means I have no more sorrows in my life anymore!" He said happily.

This made Mila gasp in a shock but happy way as she tightly returned the hug.

"Really!? I'm so happy!" She said.

Bass and Tina could only stare at the two grinning and then looking at eachother in a happy way since they were very pleased.

A few days later, Zack returned back home from the hospital, after the doctors treated the wound, with Mila to keep him company. The two were sitting on the huge couch and watching the TV.

"How's the wound, Zack?" Mila asked.

Zack then pulled up a part of his t-shirt to see his bandage wound on his hip. He smiled a little before turning to Mila.

"Let's say a bit better. I'll bet anything that very soon I'll be back in one piece." He said with a smirk which made Mila giggle a little.

While changing channels on the TV, since most of the programs were uninteresting, he stopped once he put the D.W.A program, which was about wrestling, and they see Tina in her wrestling outfit, performing a few moves on her opponent before her father Bass, as ''Mr. Strong'', joined soon and helped her daughter in the match which ended up with the two triumphing against their opponents. Zack could only chuckle upon seeing Bass taking Tina in his arms.

"Well, I guess they are indeed about to rule the wrestling world." Zack said before laughing while Mila chuckled.

She then slowly placed her head softly on his shoulder while still looking at the TV.

"I think it's really over now, Zack."

Zack knew what she was talking about and so he softly placed his head on hers while smiling, taking off his sunglasses, since he remembered that she wished him to not wearing them all the time with her around, revealing a light smile formed on his lips while keep watching the TV at the same time.

"It is indeed."


End file.
